[Cine-MRT in the functional and morphological diagnosis of the heart after a myocardial infarct/ A comparison with angiocardiography, 2-dimensional echocardiography, intracardiac scintigraphy and enzymatic infarct size estimation].

PURPOSE

The aim of the study was to test the reliability of cine magnetic resonance imaging (cine-MRI) on the infarction heart with its altered geometry.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

61 patients (17 women, 44 men, 36-83 years, 32 with anterior, 29 with posterior wall infarction) received Cine-MRI in the true long and short axis of the heart and two-dimensional echocardiography one and 4 weeks post infarction. Two-level angiocardiography (ACG) and radionuclide ventriculography (RNV) were performed 4 weeks p.i. The size of myocardial infarction was determined enzymatically with the CK integral method. Left ventricular volume indices (EDVI, ESVI, SVI), ejection fraction (EF) and infarction weight (IW) were compared.

RESULTS

Excellent correlations existed between cine-MRI in the long and short axis for the volume indices and EF. Between cine-MRI in the short axis and ACG all correlations were excellent as well. They were significantly less satisfactory between cine-MRI and 2DE due to the inhomogeneity of echo quality. Cine-MRI and RNV produced similar EF results (r = 0.884), and a comparison of IW in cine-MRI and CK integral method also showed a good correspondence (r = 0.967).

CONCLUSION

Cine-MRI is a reliable method for the morphological and functional examination of post-myocardial infarction.