Infarct remodeling process during long-term follow-up after reperfused acute myocardial infarction.
BACKGROUND
After acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the recovery of perfusion in infarct area may lead to significant spontaneous infarct size (IS) reduction during the subsequent period. The natural course of infarct-healing process after reperfusion therapy has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the time course of the spontaneous infarct-healing process in patients with reperfused AMI.


RESULTS
Fifty-two patients with AMI who underwent primary percutaneous intervention were included. IS was measured with single-photon emission tomography using Bull's eye method at 4th day, at 5th, and at 10th months. IS was expressed as a percentage of the total myocardium. IS decreased by 33.6% at 5th month when compared with 4th day IS (from 26.3% +/- 18.8% to 17.5% +/- 12.9%, P < 0.001, n = 44). At 10th month, mean IS decreased by 21% when compared with 5th month IS (from 15.89% +/- 12.65% to 12.53% +/- 9.35%, P = 0.007, n = 31) and 49% when compared with 4th day IS (24.02% +/- 17.67% to 12.53% +/- 9.35%, P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Significant endogenous recovery of perfusion in the infarct area occurs at the long term in patients with reperfused AMI. Infarct healing is a dynamic and ongoing process and decrease in IS continues long term after reperfused AMI.
Sezer
Murat
M
Departments of Cardiology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. sezerm@istanbul.edu.tr
Cimen
Arif O
AO
Aslanger
Emre K
EK
Yormaz
Ebru
E
Turkmen
Cuneyt
C
Umman
Berrin
B
Bugra
Zehra
Z
Adalet
Isik
I
Nisanci
Yilmaz
Y
Adalet
Kamil
K
Umman
Sabahattin
S
D000368:Aged; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015425:Myocardial Reperfusion; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; D013997:Time Factors; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi