title: Evaluation of transmural myocardial perfusion by ultra-harmonic myocardial contrast echocardiography in reperfused acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The transmural distribution of myocardial perfusion is important for predicting the contractile reverse of an infarcted wall in reperfused acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Evaluating transmural myocardial perfusion by myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) could predict the long-term recovery of left ventricular (LV) function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study group comprised 20 consecutive patients with a first-episode anterior AMI with total occlusion of the proximal left anterior descending artery, who underwent successful percutaneous coronary intervention within 24 h of onset. MCE was performed on the 15th day after the onset, using ultraharmonic gray-scale imaging with intermittent end-systolic triggering every 4 beats or every 6 beats. Regions of interest were placed over both the endocardial and epicardial region at the mid-septal level. Regional wall motion (RWM) of the infarcted anterior wall and global LV function were assessed by 2-dimensional echocardiography and left ventriculography in both the acute and chronic phase. The transmural distribution of myocardial perfusion by MCE demonstrated a significant relation with RWM score index (r = 0.75, p = 0.0004). Recovery of RWM and LV ejection fraction (LVEF) at 6 months after reperfusion was significantly greater in the group with good perfusion of the epicardium according to MCE than in the poor perfusion group [RWM (SD/cord); -1.23+/-0.91 vs -3.51+/-0.84, p = 0.001, LVEF (%); 63.8+/-10.4 vs 47.0+/-3.4, p = 0.04].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Assessing the transmural distribution of myocardial perfusion by MCE can predict the long-term recovery of LV function after a reperfused AMI.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Integrated Medicine, Omiya Medical Center, Jichi Medical School, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasu
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kotsuka
authors.forename: Yuhki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsukamoto
authors.forename: Nobuhiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Norifumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: Muneyasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015425:Myocardial Reperfusion / Q000379:methods; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left