title: Postmortem imaging of antemortem myocardial ischaemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the minimum survival time for detection of antemortem myocardial ischaemia with postmortem imaging (PMI) techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine pigs underwent ligation of the left anterior descending (LAD) (8) and/or right coronary artery (RCA) branch (4), and were killed 30 min-6 h after ligation. PMI (MRI and CT angiography) was performed 2-55 h after euthanasia. Signal intensity of myocardial segments was measured. The hearts were removed, the coronary arteries injected to mark perfused segments, and sections submitted for histology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MRI T2-weighted sequences showed the ischaemic area as hyperintense in 4/4 LAD ligations with ≥4 h of ischaemia but in 0/4 with <4 h. Histological evidence of ischaemia was present in 4/4 animals after 4 h. Right ventricular ischaemic myocardium was visible on MRI T2-weighted sequences after 6 h of ischaemia in one animal. CT angiography showed the occluded coronary artery in all cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ischaemic lesions of the left ventricle, but not of the right, at least 4 h old can be detected as hyperintense areas on T2-weighted postmortem MRI. This technique is most sensitive in the first 24 h after death. Other sequences did not enhance detection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • Left ventricular myocardial ischaemia/infarction can be demonstrated by postmortem imaging (PMI). • Ischaemia/infarction is better detected if survival time is at least 4 h. • Right ventricular ischaemia/infarction is not reliably detected by PMI. • Computed tomography angiography can demonstrate arterial occlusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Francesca R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Pluchinotta
authors.forename: Prashob
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Porayette
authors.forename: Patrick O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Feins
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Teot
authors.forename: Sanjay P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Prabhu
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Sanders
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine / Q000379:methods*; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D013552:Swine
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