title: Relationship between the changes in myocardial perfusion and left ventricular ejection fraction after acute myocardial infarction. Study with myocardial contrast echocardiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Myocardial contrast echocardiography has recently been proposed as a valid technique in the evaluation of myocardial perfusion after myocardial infarction. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relation between changes in myocardial perfusion assessed by myocardial contrast echocardiography and left ventricular ejection fraction after myocardial infarction.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively studied 17 patients with acute myocardial infarction, on whom two echocardiographic studies were performed, at 48-72 hours and at 6 months. Left ventricular ejection fraction and myocardial perfusion were evaluated with myocardial contrast echocardiography (Multiple-Frame Triggering and Harmonic Angio). Basal, medial and distal segments of the interventricular septum (anterior location infarction) and inferior wall (inferior infarction) were assessed. Myocardial perfusion was classified semi-quantitatively as grade 0, 1 or 2 (absent, heterogeneous or homogeneous opacification, respectively), giving a perfusion score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Left ventricular ejection fraction improved in 9 patients (53%), the proportion of grade 0 segments decreasing by 11 +/- 17%; by contrast, this proportion increased by 9 +/- 13% in patients with no improvement in ejection fraction (p = 0.028). Additionally, a significant correlation was observed between changes in ejection fraction and both perfusion score (r = 0.625; p = 0.007) and the proportion of grade 2 segments (r = 0.649; p = 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After myocardial infarction, there is a significant relation between changes in left ventricular ejection fraction and myocardial perfusion assessed by myocardial contrast echocardiography with i.v. agents.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Ecocardiografía, Instituto Cardiovascular, Hospital Universitario Clínico San Carlos, Madrid.
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zamorano
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.forename: Leopoldo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perez de Isla
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Almería
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Rodrigo
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Matrix
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Harguindey
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Macaya
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018619:Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017682:Myocardial Stunning; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*