title: Postmortem MR quantification of the heart for characterization and differentiation of ischaemic myocardial lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recently, an MRI quantification sequence has been developed which can be used to acquire T1- and T2-relaxation times as well as proton density (PD) values. Those three quantitative values can be used to describe soft tissue in an objective manner. The purpose of this study was to investigate the applicability of quantitative cardiac MRI for characterization and differentiation of ischaemic myocardial lesions of different age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty post-mortem short axis cardiac 3 T MR examinations have been quantified using a quantification sequence. Myocardial lesions were identified according to histology and appearance in MRI images. Ischaemic lesions were assessed for mean T1-, T2- and proton density values. Quantitative values were plotted in a 3D-coordinate system to investigate the clustering of ischaemic myocardial lesions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 16 myocardial lesions detected in MRI images were histologically characterized as acute lesions (n = 8) with perifocal oedema (n = 8), subacute lesions (n = 6) and chronic lesions (n = 2). In a 3D plot comprising the combined quantitative values of T1, T2 and PD, the clusters of all investigated lesions could be well differentiated from each other.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Post-mortem quantitative cardiac MRI is feasible for characterization and discrimination of different age stages of myocardial infarction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • MR quantification is feasible for characterization of different stages of myocardial infarction. • The results provide the base for computer-aided MRI cardiac infarction diagnosis. • Diagnostic criteria may also be applied for living patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Buehlstrasse 20, 3012, Bern, Switzerland, Wolf-Dieter.Zech@irm.unibe.ch.
authors.forename: Wolf-Dieter
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Zech
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schwendener
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Persson
authors.forename: Marcel J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Warntjes
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jackowski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D002648:Child; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult