Application of breath-hold T2-weighted, first-pass perfusion and gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted MR imaging for assessment of myocardial viability ina pig model

The purpose of this study was to correlate the abnormal signal area on vari ous magnetic resonance (MR) images to the infarct area on pathologic examin ation and to assess the myocardial viability on the basis of MR images. T2- weighted, first-pass perfusion, and delayed gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images were used as "one-stop examinations" in a pig model of reperfused m yocardial infarction, The results of each MR image were compared with those of 2,3.5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining, The abnormal signal areas on TP-weighted and Gd-enhanced T1-weighted images were larger than t he infarct areas on TTC staining (34.7% and 32.3% vs. 28.3%; P < 0.05), whe reas the nonperfused areas on perfusion images were correlated (25.6% vs, 2 8.3%; P = 0.139), Electron microscopic examination showed severely distorte d ultrastructures in the infarct areas and mildly damaged ultrastructures I n the peri-infarct areas, Perfusion images probably reflected the infarct a reas, whereas T2-weighted and Gd-enhanced T1-weighted images seemed to Incl ude peri-infarct as well as infarct areas, (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.