Quantitative T2 mapping after reperfusion therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction: A comparison with late gadolinium enhancement and cine MR imaging

Purpose: This study evaluates myocardial edema by quantitative T2 mapping in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and compares the lateral extent of myocardial edema with those of infarcted and dysfunctional myocardium.

Materials and methods: Cardiac magnetic resonance images (MRIs) of 31 patients (M:F=29:2, mean age: 52.5±10.8years) with AMI were reviewed. On cine-MRI, all short axis images of the left ventricle (LV) were divided into 60 sectors. The regional wall motion of each sector was calculated as follows: systolic wall thickening (SWT, %)=[(LV wall thicknessES-LV wall thicknessED)/LV wall thicknessED]*100. Dysfunctional myocardium was defined as sectors with decreased SWT lower than 40%. On LGE-images, myocardial infarction was defined as an area of hyper-enhancement more than 5 SDs from the remote myocardium. On T2 map, myocardial edema was defined as an area in which T2 values were at least 2 SDs higher than those from remote myocardium. The lateral extents of infarcted myocardium, myocardial edema, and dysfunctional myocardium were calculated as the percentage of central angles ((central angle of the involved myocardium/360)*100 (%)) and then compared.

Results: The lateral extent of myocardial edema was slightly larger than that of infarcted myocardium (37.4±13.3% vs. 35±12.9%, p<0.01). The lateral extent of dysfunctional myocardium (50.6±15.3%) was significantly larger than that of infarcted myocardium or myocardial edema (p<0.001).

Conclusions: The lateral extent of myocardial edema beyond the infarcted myocardium might be narrow, but the dysfunctional myocardium could be significantly larger than myocardial edema, suggesting stunned myocardium without edema.