title: Impact of primary coronary angioplasty delay on myocardial salvage, infarct size, and microvascular damage in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: insight from cardiovascular magnetic resonance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the extent and nature of myocardial damage by using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in relation to different time-to-reperfusion intervals.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Previous studies evaluating the influence of time to reperfusion on infarct size (IS) and myocardial salvage in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have yielded conflicting results.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy patients with STEMI successfully treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention within 12 h from symptom onset underwent CMR 3 +/- 2 days after hospital admission. Patients were subcategorized into 4 time-to-reperfusion (symptom onset to balloon) quartiles: < or =90 min (group I, n = 19), >90 to 150 min (group II, n = 17), >150 to 360 min (group III, n = 17), and >360 min (group IV, n = 17). T2-weighted short tau inversion recovery and late gadolinium enhancement CMR were used to characterize reversible and irreversible myocardial injury (area at risk and IS, respectively); salvaged myocardium was defined as the normalized difference between extent of T2-weighted short tau inversion recovery and late gadolinium enhancement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Shorter time-to-reperfusion (group I) was associated with smaller IS and microvascular obstruction and larger salvaged myocardium. Mean IS progressively increased overtime: 8% (group I), 11.7% (group II), 12.7% (group III), and 17.9% (group IV), p = 0.017; similarly, MVO was larger in patients reperfused later (0.5%, 1.5%, 3.7%, and 6.6%, respectively, p = 0.047). Accordingly, salvaged myocardium markedly decreased when reperfusion occurred >90 min of coronary occlusion (8.5%, 3.2%, 2.4%, and 2.1%, respectively, p = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with STEMI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention, time to reperfusion determines the extent of reversible and irreversible myocardial injury assessed by CMR. In particular, salvaged myocardium is markedly reduced when reperfusion occurs >90 min of coronary occlusion.
authors: Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Unit, Department of Radiology Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00161, Italy.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Francone
authors: Chiara
authors: C
authors: Bucciarelli-Ducci
authors: Iacopo
authors: I
authors: Carbone
authors: Emanuele
authors: E
authors: Canali
authors: Raffaele
authors: R
authors: Scardala
authors: Francesca A
authors: FA
authors: Calabrese
authors: Gennaro
authors: G
authors: Sardella
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Mancone
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Catalano
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Fedele
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Passariello
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Bogaert
authors: Luciano
authors: L
authors: Agati
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000379:methods*; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors