title: Utility of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in the evaluation of right ventricular (RV) involvement in patients with myocardial infarction (MI).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this work was to compare the prevalence of right ventricle involvement in a population of patients with myocardial infarction as detected by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), clinical presentation, electrocardiographic (ECG) and echocardiographic criteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 97 consecutive patients, admitted to our institution for acute myocardial infarction, underwent a standard CMR examination within 5 days after the event. The presence of myocardial oedema and late enhancement of the right ventricle were compared to infarct location (anterior vs. inferior), clinical data, ECG, echocardiography results and other CMR findings. The results were analysed statistically using the Student's t test for independent samples and the K statistic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 97 patients included in the study, a diagnosis of right ventricular infarction was established in 12, 14 and 24 cases on the basis of the clinical data, the ECG and echocardiography, respectively. CMR demonstrated myocardial oedema and late enhancement of the right ventricle in 48 and 32 cases, respectively. The right ventricle was involved in 46 % of patients with inferior myocardial infarction (15/32) and in 30 % with anterior myocardial infarction (17/56), correlating to a worsening of both right and left ventricular performance (p = 0.001-0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The right ventricle is frequently involved in myocardial infarction, correlating to a worse functional impairment of both ventricles and a worse prognosis. This finding, which is often underestimated by traditional cardiological tests, is well revealed by CMR, with potential clinical and therapeutic impact.
authors: Dipartmento di Scienze Radiologiche, Oncologiche ed Anatomo-patologiche, Policlinico Umberto I, Università di Roma "Sapienza", Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy, nicola.galea@gmail.com.
authors: Nicola
authors: N
authors: Galea
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Francone
authors: Iacopo
authors: I
authors: Carbone
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Cannata
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Vullo
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Galea
authors: Luciano
authors: L
authors: Agati
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Fedele
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Catalano
mesh_terms: D003287:Contrast Media; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C064572:gadobenic acid; D008536:Meglumine