title: Temporal course of microvascular obstruction after myocardial infarction assessed by MRI.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to analyze the extent of microvascular obstruction (MO) after the index event compared with the follow-up at a median of three months.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified 31 patients with MO after primary percutaneous coronary intervention of acute myocardial infarction by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. The initial examination was performed after the index event, and 27 patients had the follow-up exam after a median of three months (interquartile range, 2-4 months). In addition, we examined 10 patients without MO after transmural myocardial infarction, as a control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MO disappeared in 23 of 27 patients (85%) in the follow-up and transformed into transmural late gadolinium enhancement. In patients with persistent MO, mean MO size decreased from 2.25% to 1.25%. In patients with MO, mean infarct size decreased significantly from 20.8% to 14.7% (P < 0.001). In the control group, mean infarct size decreased from 12.7% to 10.5% in the follow-up scan (P = 0.137).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MO is significantly reduced during the follow-up after acute myocardial infarction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, HELIOS Medical Center Wuppertal, University Hospital Witten/Herdecke, Wuppertal, Germany; Center for Clinical Medicine Witten/Herdecke University Faculty of Health, Wuppertal, Germany. nadine.abanador@helios-kliniken.de.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abanador-Kamper
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Karamani
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kamper
authors.forename: Hilmar
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brinkmann
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Haage
authors.forename: Melchior
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seyfarth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D054059:Coronary Occlusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA