title: Quantitative evaluation of ischemic myocardial scar tissue by unenhanced T1 mapping using 3.0 Tesla MR scanner.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to use a noninvasive method for quantifying T1 values of chronic myocardial infarction scar by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and determine its diagnostic performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed cardiac MRI on 29 consecutive patients with known coronary artery disease (CAD) on 3.0 Tesla MRI scanner. An unenhanced T1 mapping technique was used to calculate T1 relaxation time of myocardial scar tissue, and its diagnostic performance was evaluated. Chronic scar tissue was identified by delayed contrast-enhancement (DE) MRI and T2-weighted images. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy values were calculated for T1 mapping using DE images as the gold standard.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four hundred and forty-two segments were analyzed in 26 patients. While myocardial chronic scar was demonstrated in 45 segments on DE images, T1 mapping MRI showed a chronic scar area in 54 segments. T1 relaxation time was higher in chronic scar tissue, compared with remote areas (1314±98 ms vs. 1099±90 ms, P < 0.001). Therefore, increased T1 values were shown in areas of myocardium colocalized with areas of DE and normal signal on T2-weighted images. There was a significant correlation between T1 mapping and DE images in evaluation of myocardial wall injury extent (P < 0.05). We calculated sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy as 95.5%, 97%, and 96%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study reveal that T1 mapping MRI combined with T2-weighted images might be a feasible imaging modality for detecting chronic myocardial infarction scar tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Bozok University, School of Medicine, Yozgat, Turkey; Department of Radiology, Atatürk University, School of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey. draylinokur@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Aylin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okur
authors.forename: Mecit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kantarcı
authors.forename: Yeşim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kızrak
authors.forename: Sema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yıldız
authors.forename: Berhan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pirimoğlu
authors.forename: Leyla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Karaca
authors.forename: Hayri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oğul
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sevimli
mesh_terms: D002921:Cicatrix / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity