Diffusion-weighted echo planar imaging in patients with recent myocardial infarction.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate a diffusion-weighted (DW) black blood MR sequence for the detection of myocardium signal abnormalities in patients with recent myocardial infarction (MI).


METHODS
A DW black blood EPI sequence was acquired at 1.5 T in 12 patients with recent MI. One slice per patient was acquired with b=0 and b=50 s/mm2. A standard short tau inversion recovery (STIR) T2-weighted sequence was acquired at the same level. Viability was assessed with delayed-enhancement sequences. Images were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. A non parametric Wilcoxon test was used for statistical analysis, with a significance level of P<.05.


RESULTS
The mean quality of blood suppression was higher on DW EPI images than on STIR T2-weighted images (3.9±0.3 and 3.0±0.7, respectively; P=0.01). Myocardial high signal areas were detected in respectively 100% (12/12) and 67% (8/12) of the patients on DW EPI and STIR T2-weighted images. The four patients (33%) with false-negative STIR T2 findings all had high signal areas on DW EPI images corresponding to the location of the MI on the delayed-enhanced images.


CONCLUSIONS
DW EPI sequences are a feasible alternative to standard STIR T2-weighted sequences for detecting myocardium high signal areas in patients with recent MI.
Deux
Jean-François
JF
Radiology Department, H. Mondor Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, University Paris 12, Créteil, France. jean-francois.deux@hmn.aphp.fr
Maatouk
Mezri
M
Vignaud
Alexandre
A
Luciani
Alain
A
Lenczner
Grégory
G
Mayer
Julie
J
Lim
Pascal
P
Dubois-Randé
Jean-Luc
JL
Kobeiter
Hicham
H
Rahmouni
Alain
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011859:Radiography