Usefulness of multidetector-row CT in the evaluation of reperfused myocardial infarction in a rabbit model.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the usefulness of multidetector-row computed tomography(CT) in the evaluation of reperfused myocardial infarction.


METHODS
Eleven rabbits were subjected to 90-min occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery followed by reperfusion. Multidetector-row CT was performed 31 hours+/-21 after the procedure and pre and post-contrast multiphase helical CT images were obtained up to 10 min after contrast injection. The animals were sacrificed after 30 days and histochemical staining of the resected specimens was performed with 2'3'5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC).


RESULTS
In all 11 cases, the areas of myocardial infarction demonstrated with TTC-staining were identified on the CT images and the lesions showed hypoenhancement on the early phases up to 62 sec and hyperenhancement on the delayed phases of 5 min and 10 min compared with normal myocardial enhancement. The percentage area of the lesion with respect to the left ventricle wall on CT was significantly correlated with that of the TTC-staining results (p < 0.001 for both early and delayed phase CT) according to the generalized linear model analysis. The areas showing hypoenhancement on early CT were significantly smaller than those with hyperenhancement on delayed CT (p < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Multidetector-row CT may be useful in the detection and sizing of reperfused myocardial infarction.
Park
Jong Min
JM
Department of Radiology and Center for Imaging Science, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Choe
Yeon Hyeon
YH
Chang
Samuel
S
Sung
Yon Mi
YM
Kang
Seok Seon
SS
Kim
Min Joo
MJ
Han
Boo-Kyung
BK
Choi
Sang-Hee
SH
D000818:Animals; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D023421:Models, Animal; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011817:Rabbits; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods