title: Adipose tissue detected by multislice computed tomography in patients after myocardial infarction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to investigate the frequency of left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular adipose tissue on multislice computed tomography (CT) in patients with a history of myocardial infarction (MI) and to determine correlations with infarct age.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Fat deposition in the ventricular wall has frequently been observed in post-infarct myocardial tissue. However, the in vivo relevance of adipose tissue in MI on CT and correlations with infarct age have not been determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-three patients with a history of MI (mean age 66 +/- 10 years; 38 men, 15 women) and 63 subjects with no history of MI or coronary revascularization (mean age 65 +/- 12 years; 37 men, 26 women) were retrospectively studied for intramyocardial fat on 64-slice cardiac CT. Presence or absence, distribution, and correlations with infarct age of LV adipose tissue were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with noninfarct control subjects, the MI group showed a significantly higher prevalence of fat deposition within LV myocardium on CT (MI group, 62% [33 of 53] vs. control group, 3% [2 of 63]; p < 0.0001). In 32 of 33 patients (97%) with MI and LV fat deposition on CT, adipose tissue was observed in the region perfused by the infarct-related artery and was located in the subendocardium in 30 patients (94%), the middle layer in 1 patient (3%), and the subepicardium in 1 patient (3%). Mean infarct age was significantly higher in patients with LV adipose tissue (8.2 +/- 4.4 years) than in those without adipose tissue (2.2 +/- 2.6 years, p < 0.001). Thirty of 35 patients (89%) with infarct age >or=3 years showed adipose tissue in MI. Conversely, none of 9 patients with infarct age <10 months showed fatty replacement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Myocardial adipose tissue is common in patients with infarct age >or=3 years. CT evaluation of myocardial adipose tissue may be important for accurate interpretation of CT perfusion and infarct imaging of the heart.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Matsusaka Central Hospital, Mie, Japan. yasutaka@clin.medic.mie-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yasutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Kakuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitagawa
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chino
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanigawa
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Tadanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: Kan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakuma
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008068:Lipomatosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008679:Metaplasia; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed