CARDIAC MRI BASED INVESTIGATION OF ACUTE INFARCT SIZE VS. LONG-TERM FUNCTIONAL INDICES

Background. Myocardial infarction can be evaluated using cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (CMR). Cine images can be used to assess cardiac function and late-gadolinium enhancement (LGE) CMR can be used to assess infarct size.

Objective. The objective of this investigation was to assess if the functional status following myocardial infarction in patients is dependent on acute infarct size.

Methods. Patients (n=20) underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging on day 2 (acute) and month 6 (chronic) after the event. LGE and cine images were processed with cvi⁴² (Circle Imaging, Canada) to measure EDV, ESV, EF, and acute infarct size from CMR images. Acute infarct size was regressed against chronic EDV, ESV, EF.

Results. The results showed that acute infarct size and functional volumetric indices (EDV, ESV, and EF) were correlated. The R for the three regressions between acute infarct size and EDV, ESV, and EF were 0.67, 0.73, and -0.76 respectively.

Conclusion. The acute infarct size is predictive of the volumetric indices in the chronic phase. Thus, acute infarct size is a strong indicator of how well the heart function is impaired in the long term.