Utility of cardiac magnetic resonance in the diagnosis of suspected “MINOCA”: a case series and literature review

Myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary artery (MINOCA) is a common condition in clinical practice with multiple specific causes, such as plaque rupture, plaque erosion, and epicardial coronary vasospasm. There must be an ischemic mechanism responsible for the myocyte injury and an exclusion of nonischemic mechanisms that can mimic myocardial infarction, and then a diagnosis of MINOCA can be made. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) plays an essential role in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of MINOCA, which cannot only exclude myocarditis, Takotsubo syndrome, and cardiomyopathies, but also provide imaging confirmation of acute myocardial infarction. In this study, we presented 2 typical cases with the clinical presentation of acute myocardial infarction but normal or nonobstructive epicardial coronary arteries. Further CMR examinations showed different patterns of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in these 2 cases, one case with subendocardial LGE of the anterolateral wall and the other one with subepicardial LGE of the lateral wall, which indicated 2 different mechanisms for the myocyte injury. Subsequently, these 2 patients received different treatment regimens and were discharged with improved symptoms. In conclusion, CMR should be a mandatory test in patients with suspected MINOCA, because it can not only make a clear diagnosis, but also play an important role in guiding clinical decision-making.     

Diagnostic value of ECG-gated multidetector computed tomography in the early phase of suspected acute myocarditis. A preliminary comparative study with cardiac MRI

The aim of the study was to determine the potential diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced echocardiogram (ECG)-gated multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in the setting of suspected acute myocarditis compared with contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The study group consisted of 12 consecutive patients admitted for suspected acute myocarditis less than 10 days after onset of symptoms. All patients had clinical, electrocardiographic signs, and laboratory findings consistent with the diagnosis. All patients but one (severe claustrophobia) underwent cardiac MRI using T1-weighted delayed-enhancement images after injection of gadolinium. ECG-gated MDCT was performed in all patients and included a first-pass contrast-enhanced acquisition and a delayed acquisition. MRI revealed abnormal focal or multifocal myocardial enhancement and confirmed the diagnosis in 11 patients. The first-pass MDCT acquisition showed homogenous left-ventricle contrast enhancement and absence of coronary stenosis in all patients. Delayed MDCT acquisition, performed 5 min later without reinjection of contrast medium revealed multiple areas of myocardial hyperenhancement in a focal or a multifocal pattern (six and six patients, respectively). Extent and location of hyperenhancement at MDCT correlated well with that observed at MR examination for all 11 patients evaluated by both techniques (r=0.9167, p=0.0004). These preliminary results show that ECG-gated MDCT could be a useful alternative noninvasive diagnostic test in the early phase of acute myocarditis.     

Magnetic resonance imaging demonstration of anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the left coronary sinus associated with acute myocardial infarction

Coronary MR angiography can be useful for noninvasive diagnosis of potentially life-threatening coronary artery anomalies. However, there has been no report to date on MR demonstration of acute myocardial infarction associated with right coronary artery anomaly. A 55-year-old man was admitted with chest pain. Catheter coronary angiography revealed an anomalous origin with compression in the proximal segment of right coronary artery. Breath-hold MR angiography using spiral acquisition technique showed that the right coronary artery originated from the left coronary sinus with a separate os. The proximal segment of the artery was compressed by right ventricle outflow tract during the diastolic phase of cine MR imaging. Contrast-enhanced MR imaging 5 minutes after Gd-DTPA injection showed hyperenhancement suggestive of acute myocardial infarction in the posteroinferior wall of the left ventricle.     

Differentiating acute myocardial infarction from myocarditis: diagnostic value of early- and delayed-perfusion cardiac MR imaging

PURPOSE: To prospectively determine whether early first-pass perfusion and delayed-enhancement magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequences can enable differentiation of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) from myocarditis in patients with acute chest pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All examinations were performed according to guidelines of the institutional board on medical ethics and clinical investigation and after informed patient consent was obtained. Fifty-five patients with a clinical presentation suggestive but not typical of AMI were examined. At final diagnosis, 31 patients had AMI and 24 had myocarditis. At-rest MR imaging was performed and included first-pass perfusion and delayed-enhancement sequences. Three independent observers read each image data set separately and then in consensus. The main abnormalities included first-pass perfusion defects and delayed highly enhancing areas. The numbers and distributions of involved segments and the transmural extents and the shapes of the highly enhancing areas were noted. For comparisons between the AMI and myocarditis patient groups, the chi2 test was used to assess the locations of the abnormalities and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess the numbers of involved segments. The final diagnoses were obtained with coronary angiography as the reference standard for the AMI group and on the basis of normal coronary angiographic findings and the spontaneous resolution of clinical symptoms and wall motion abnormalities for the myocarditis group. RESULTS: MR imaging patterns were significantly different between the two cardiac disease groups (P < .05). All the patients with AMI had a segmental early subendocardial defect, with corresponding segmental subendocardial or transmural delayed high enhancement in a predominantly anteroseptal or inferior vascular distribution in 28 patients. All patients with AMI had stenosis of at least the infarct-affected coronary artery. All but one of the patients with myocarditis had no early defect and focal or diffuse nonsegmental nonsubendocardial delayed enhancement predominantly in an inferolateral location. CONCLUSION: Use of combined early- and late-perfusion MR imaging sequences helps to distinguish AMI from myocarditis.     

Diagnostic performance of stress perfusion and delayed-enhancement MR imaging in patients with coronary artery disease

PURPOSE: To prospectively determine the accuracy of a combined magnetic resonance (MR) imaging approach (stress first-pass perfusion imaging followed by delayed-enhancement imaging) for depicting clinically significant coronary artery stenosis (> or = 70% stenosis) in patients suspected of having or known to have coronary artery disease (CAD), with coronary angiography serving as the reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The committee on human research approved the study protocol, and all participants gave written informed consent. This study was HIPAA compliant. Forty-seven patients (38 men and nine women; mean age, 63 years +/- 5.3 [standard deviation]) scheduled for coronary angiography were prospectively enrolled: 33 were suspected of having CAD (group A) and 14 had experienced a previous myocardial infarction and were suspected of having new lesions (group B). The MR imaging protocol included cine function, gadolinium-enhanced stress and rest first-pass perfusion MR imaging, and delayed-enhancement MR imaging. Myocardial ischemia was defined as a segment with perfusion deficit at stress first-pass perfusion MR imaging and no hyperenhancement at delayed-enhancement imaging. Myocardial infarction was defined as an area with hyperenhancement at delayed-enhancement imaging. RESULTS: One patient was excluded from analysis because of poor-quality MR images. Coronary angiography depicted significant stenosis in 30 of 46 patients (65%). In a per-vessel analysis (n = 138), stress first-pass perfusion MR imaging and delayed-enhancement imaging yielded sensitivity of 0.87, specificity of 0.89, and accuracy of 0.88, when compared with coronary angiography. The diagnostic accuracy of stress first-pass perfusion MR imaging and delayed-enhancement imaging was slightly better than that of stress and rest first-pass perfusion MR imaging in the entire population (0.88 vs 0.85), in group A (0.86 vs 0.82), and in group B (0.93 vs 0.90). CONCLUSION: Stress first-pass perfusion MR imaging followed by delayed-enhancement imaging is an accurate method to depict significant coronary stenosis in patients suspected of having or known to have CAD.     

Coronary atherosclerosis imaging by CT to improve clinical outcomes

Coronary artery disease remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality world-wide. Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CCTA) has excellent diagnostic accuracy and the identification and stratification of coronary artery disease is associated with improved prognosis in multiple studies. Recent randomized controlled trials have shown that in patients with stable coronary artery disease, CCTA is associated with improved diagnosis, changes in investigations, changes in medical treatment and appropriate selection for revascularization. Importantly this diagnostic approach reduces the long-term risk of fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction. The identification of adverse plaques on CCTA is known to be associated with an increased risk of acute coronary syndrome, but does not appear to be predictive of long-term outcomes independent of coronary artery calcium burden. Future research will involve the assessment of outcomes after CCTA in patients with acute chest pain and asymptomatic patients. In addition, more advanced quantification of plaque subtypes, vascular inflammation and coronary flow dynamics may identify further patients at increased risk.     

Acute impairment of regional myocardial glucose uptake in the apical ballooning (takotsubo) syndrome

BACKGROUND: Apical ballooning syndrome (ABS) is a poorly understood clinical entity characterized by acute, transient systolic dysfunction of the left ventricular (LV) apex in the absence of epicardial coronary artery disease and commonly associated with acute emotional stress. We report abnormal regional myocardial perfusion and glucose uptake in 4 consecutive ABS patients studied using positron emission tomography with 13N-ammonia and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose within 72 hours of presentation with ABS. METHODS: All patients were postmenopausal females, 3 of whom had a major recent life stress event. Coronary angiography revealed no or minimal obstructive epicardial coronary artery disease. All patients exhibited reduced glucose uptake in the mid-LV and apical myocardial segments, which was out of proportion to perfusion abnormalities in half of the cases. CONCLUSION: In all 4 patients, affected regions subsequently recovered regional LV systolic function within 6 weeks.     

Analysis of first-pass and delayed contrast-enhancement patterns of dysfunctional myocardium on MR imaging: use in the prediction of myocardial viability

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to analyze first-pass and delayed contrast-enhancement patterns of dysfunctional myocardial regions on MR imaging after injection of gadopentetate dimeglumine to predict myocardial viability in patients with coronary artery disease. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twelve patients with wall motion abnormalities and related coronary artery disease revealed by conventional coronary angiography underwent MR imaging at 1.5-T before and 3 months after revascularization therapy. Short-axis images were acquired using a cine gradient-echo sequence. Each slice was divided into eight segments. Overall, 73 segments with impaired contractility were imaged during the first-pass and 14 +/- 2 min after injection of 0.05-mmol/kg gadopentetate dimeglumine at a flow of 3 ml/sec using a T1-weighted turbo fast low-angle shot sequence. Improved systolic wall thickening 3 months after revascularization served as the criterion of viability. RESULTS: At study entry, 26 dysfunctional segments showed delayed hyperenhancement compared with the adjacent functional segments within the same slice, and 47 did not reveal hyperenhancement. After revascularization, 25 (96%) of the 26 hyperenhanced segments did not recover function, whereas 39 (83%) of the 47 segments without hyperenhancement showed mechanical improvement. Segment-related sensitivity and specificity for the correlation of lack of delayed hyperenhancement with myocardial viability were 39 (98%) of 40 and 25 (76%) of 33, respectively. Hypoenhancement during first-pass did not serve as a reliable criterion of viability. CONCLUSION: Evidence of delayed hyperenhancement of dysfunctional myocardium may be used to predict lack of mechanical improvement or nonviability, whereas the lack of hyperenhancement can be correlated with improvement of regional contractility or viability after revascularization.     

Miocarditis: diagnóstico y seguimiento con resonancia magnética

Myocarditis, inflammation of the myocardium, is usually due to viral infection. Diagnostic confirmation in ordinary clinical practice is difficult because the findings on the clinical history, physical examination, electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests offer scant diagnostic accuracy, and the differential diagnosis is often done with acute myocardial infarction. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has become the method of choice for the diagnosis of myocarditis. In this article, we describe the CMR findings at diagnosis and during the follow-up of patients with myocarditis, the differential diagnosis with other acute processes like myocardial infarction, and the prognostic factors studied with CMR.     

Completely inverse images in dual-isotope SPECT with TI-201 and I-123 MIBG in a patient with myocarditis

Dual-isotope myocardial SPECT in a female patient with idiopathic myocarditis showed completely inverse images in Tl-201 and I-123 MIBG SPECT. In the dual-isotope SPECT performed 13 days after her admission, Tl-201 SPECT images showed reduced accumulation in the apex and normal accumulation in the other regions, whereas the corresponding I-123 MIBG SPECT images showed normal findings in the apex and reduced uptake in the other regions. These rare discrepancies were due to the difference in photon attenuation of the two isotopes in the apex and denervated-but-viable myocardium in the basal region, which were suggested by the following findings of gated perfusion SPECT and echocardiography. Gated SPECT with Tc-99m tetrofosmin performed 23 days after admission revealed normal myocardial perfusion and normal wall motion. Iodine-123 MIBG SPECT findings reflected impaired wall motion in echocardiography performed on admission, which resembles a phenomenon called "memory image" in coronary artery disease. The present case indicated a pitfall in interpreting dual-isotope imaging.     

Chronic inflammatory diseases and coronary heart disease: Insights from cardiovascular CT

Epidemiological and clinical studies have demonstrated a consistent relationship between increased systemic inflammation and increased risk of cardiovascular events. In chronic inflammatory states, traditional risk factors only partially account for the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) but underestimate total cardiovascular risk likely due to the residual risk of inflammation. Computed coronary tomography angiography (CCTA) may aid in risk stratification by noninvasively capturing early CAD, identifying high risk plaque morphology and quantifying plaque at baseline and in response to treatment. In this review, we focus on reviewing studies on subclinical atherosclerosis by CCTA in individuals with chronic inflammatory conditions including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematous (SLE), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and psoriasis. We start with a brief review on the role of inflammation in atherosclerosis, highlight the utility of using CCTA to delineate vessel wall and plaque characteristics and discuss combining CCTA with laboratory studies and emerging technologies to complement traditional risk stratification in chronic inflammatory states.     

Utility of coronary CT angiography in outpatients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy presenting with angina symptoms

BackgroundAngina is a frequent symptom in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM); however, it is often not because of significant epicardial coronary artery stenosis. Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is an excellent modality to rule out significant coronary artery stenosis in the low- and intermediate-risk patients; however, its value in patients with HCM has not been explored. We sought to assess the utility of CCTA in the assessment of patients with HCM and stable anginal symptoms and compare the incidence of epicardial coronary artery stenosis to an age- and gender-matched control group.MethodsConsecutive outpatients with HCM referred for CCTA over a 3-year period because of stable anginal symptoms (chest pain or shortness of breath) were identified retrospectively. Age- and gender-matched patients without HCM referred for CCTA because of similar symptoms over a 6-month period were used as controls. All patients had CCTA using an Aquilion ONE 320 scanner. The coronary arteries were evaluated independently by 2 blinded observers, and any luminal narrowing was scored quantitatively as follows: >70% = severe; 50% to 70% = moderate; <50% = mild; and none. For the HCM group, results of cardiac single-photon emission CT (SPECT) or cardiac magnetic resonance perfusion studies as well as catheter angiograms were recorded where available.ResultsA total of 91 patients with HCM and 91 controls were included. No significant difference in cardiac risk factors was present between the 2 groups. The CCTA was of diagnostic quality in all patients. The median (interquartile range) calcium score was lower in patients with HCM (0 [0–50] vs 2 [0–189]) but did not reach statistical significance (P = .23). The incidence of moderate-to-severe coronary artery stenosis was significantly lower in patients with HCM than in controls (6.6% vs 33.0%; P < .001). The incidence of left anterior descending artery luminal narrowing overall was also significantly lower in the HCM patients (7.0% vs 20.9%; P = .002). There was a higher incidence of myocardial bridging in patients with HCM (40.7% vs 6.6%; P < .001), with longer and deeper bridged segments. Among a subgroup of HCM patients (n = 24) who had either stress perfusion CMR or cardiac single-photon emission CT studies performed, 15 of 24 had false-positive perfusion abnormalities without evidence of luminal obstruction on CCTA.ConclusionWe demonstrate the use of CCTA for the assessment of stable anginal symptoms in patients with HCM. The incidence of moderate-to-severe coronary artery stenosis was significantly lower in our HCM patients in comparison to our age-matched, gender-matched, and risk factor–matched control group. Given the high incidence of false-positive findings on perfusion stress studies, we propose that CCTA may be useful for appropriate triage to coronary angiography in the HCM patient with anginal symptoms.     

Mapping epicardial fat with multi-detector computed tomography to facilitate percutaneous transepicardial arrhythmia ablation

A sizable portion of ventricular tachycardia circuits are epicardial, especially in patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, e.g. Chagas disease. Thus there is a growing interest among the electrophysiologists in transepicardial mapping and myocardial ablation for treatment of arrhythmias. However, increased epicardial fat can be a significant hindrance in procedural success as it can mimic infarct during mapping and can also decrease the effectiveness of ablation. Quantitative knowledge of epicardial fat pre-procedure can potentially significantly facilitate the conduct and outcomes of these procedures. In this study we assessed the epicardial fat distribution and thickness in vivo in 59 patients who underwent multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) for coronary artery assessment using a 16-slice scanner. Multiplanar reconstructions were obtained in the ventricular short axis at the basal, mid ventricular, and near the apex level, and in a four-chamber view. In the short axis slices, we measured epicardial fat diameter in nine segments, and in the four-chamber view, it was measured in five segments. In grooved segments the maximum fat thickness was recorded, while in non-grooved segments thickness at three equally spaced points were averaged. The results were as follows starting clockwise: superior inter-ventricular (IV) groove (all measurements are in mm, in basal, mid ventricular, and apical levels, respectively) (11.2, 8.6, 7.3), left ventricular (LV) superior lateral wall (1.0, 1.5, 1.7), LV inferior lateral wall (1.3, 2.2, 3.5), inferior IV groove (9.2, 6.5, 6.1), right ventricular (RV) diaphragmatic wall (1.4, 0.2, 1.0), acute margin (9.2, 7.3, 7.8), RV anterior free wall inferior (6.8, 4.0, 4.7), RV anterior free wall superior (6.5, 3.2, 3.1), RV superior wall (5.6, 2.7, 4.0), We measured the following four-chamber segments: LV apex (2.8 mm), left atrio-ventricular (AV) groove (12.7), right AV groove (14.8), RV apex (4.8), and anterior IV groove (7.7). The mean epicardial fat thickness for all cases was 5.3 mm (S.D. 1.6). The mean total epicardial fat for patients over 65 was 22% greater than younger patients, with a 36% increase along the RV anterior free wall, 57% along the RV diaphragmatic wall and 38% along the LV lateral wall. Women averaged 17% more total epicardial fat. In conclusion, this study was designed to provide an epicardial fat map for physicians performing percutaneous epicardial mapping and interventions. While the acute margin and RV anterior free wall tend to have high epicardial fat, and the LV lateral wall and RV diaphragmatic wall tend to have little to no fat, there is significant variation between patients. MDCT is a reliable modality for visualizing epicardial fat, and should be considered prior to undergoing procedures that are affected by epicardial fat content, especially in elderly and female populations.     

Usefulness of coronary postmortem computed tomography angiography to detect lesions in the coronary artery and myocardium in cases of sudden death

Coronary postmortem computed tomography angiography (coronary PMCTA) has been introduced as a routine examination procedure for autopsy at our department. Here, we reviewed eight autopsy cases in which apparent histopathological changes including acute myocardial infarction (AMI), anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA), hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) and acute myocarditis were involved in the cause of death. For investigation of the coronary artery and shape of the heart, coronary PMCTA was valuable in detecting narrowing or obstruction of coronary artery in AMI, indicating an anomalous aortic origin of the left coronary artery in AAOCA, and demonstrating septal hypertrophy and intracavitary obstruction in HOCM. However, it was debatable whether the hypervascularity demonstrated by coronary PMCTA in the case of acute myocarditis was more prominent than the vascular images obtained in other cases without inflammation. Thus, coronary PMCTA appeared to be useful not only for detection of coronary artery stenosis, but also for indicating other distinctive changes involved in AAOCA and HOCM.     

Functional MRI in ischemic heart disease based on detection of contraction abnormalities.

Even though several non-invasive techniques are available for the assessment of coronary artery disease and the detection of myocardial ischemia, many coronary angiograms yield negative results, thus, warranting higher accuracy for non-invasive tests. The detection of obstructive coronary artery disease is only possible during physical or pharmacological stress. Currently, the assessment of wall motion abnormalities by echocardiography is clinically the most widely used method. However, a significant number of patients yield suboptimal or non-diagnostic images despite improvements with harmonic imaging. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging allows a non-invasive visualization of the heart with high spatial and temporal resolution. Gradient echo CMR images permit an exact and reproducible determination of global and regional left ventricular function, wall thickness and wall thickening and identical pharmacological stress protocols, as currently used for dobutamine stress echocardiography, can be implemented for CMR imaging. A review of the literature on dobutamine stress CMR for the detection of stress induced wall motion abnormalities is presented and the safety of CMR stress examinations is discussed. The results show, that especially in those patients with suboptimal echocardiographic image quality dobutamine stress CMR is superior in comparison with dobutamine stress echocardiography and may replace echocardiography in these patients. Further possibilities by the use of myocardial tagging or intravascular contrast agents are outlined.     

Marked 99mTc-PYP myocardial accumulation immediately after reperfusion in a patient with acute myocardial infarction

We reported a case of a 72-year-old man with chest pain. An electrocardiogram showed ST segment elevation in I, II, III, aVL, aVF and V1-6 leads. 99mTc-tetrofosmin myocardial SPECT showed defect in the anterior, septal, apical and inferior walls. Coronary angiography showed 99% stenosis of the proximal right coronary artery and total occlusion of the midsegment of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Therefore, direct PTCA was performed for each lesion to achieve reperfusion. We didnt's see reperfusion injury during PTCA of the left coronary artery. On the other side, we saw severe reperfusion injury, such as slow-flow, arrhythmia and falling blood pressure during PTCA of the right coronary artery. After four hours, 99mTc-PYP myocardial SPECT showed marked uptake in the apical and inferior walls, and mild uptake in the anterior and posterior walls. After three days, severely-reduced uptake of 99mTc-PYP in the apex was noted, and mild uptake in the mid-portion of the anterior wall and the mid-portion of the inferior wall. Though reperfusion injury was seen, three was mild myocardial uptake of 99mTc-PYP in the area of the right coronary artery. On the other side, despite no reperfusion injury, there showed marked uptake during the acute phase and defect during the subacute phase in the area of the left coronary artery. Wall motion of the left ventricle was normal in the area of the right coronary artery and akinesis was seen on the left. These findings suggest that 99mTc-tetrofosmin and 99mTc-PYP myocardial SPECT are useful for visualization of reperfusion injury during the acute phase and for estimation of function during the chronic phase, better even than electrocardiogram or coronary angiography.     

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging: diagnostic value and utility in the follow-up of patients with acute myocarditis mimicking myocardial infarction

Purpose

The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the differential diagnosis between active myocarditis and myocardial infarction in patients with clinical symptoms mimicking acute myocardial infarction.

Materials and methods

Between 1 January 2006 and 30 June 2007, 23 consecutive patients (21 men and 2 women) presenting with electrocardiographic abnormalities mimicking acute myocardial infarction and a clinical suspicion of acute myocarditis (fever, chest pain and elevated troponin levels) underwent contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI within a week of admission. All patients also underwent coronary angiography, which demonstrated the absence of significant coronary artery lesions. The mean follow-up period was 2±4 months.

Results

Cardiac MRI with injection of contrast material showed late subepicardial and intramyocardial enhancement in all patients. Subendocardial late enhancement, a typical pattern of myocardial infarction, was never seen. In addition, in agreement with the literature, there was prevalent involvement of the lateral segments of the left ventricular wall.

Conclusions

Cardiac MRI could be a valuable tool for the early diagnosis of acute myocarditis, as it can demonstrate specific patterns that help rule out acute myocardial infarction.     

Diagnosis of coronary artery disease with dobutamine-stress MRI

Dobutamine-stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is a new diagnostic tool for the non-invasive detection of coronary artery disease. Technological advances in CMR have evolved this technique to an adequate alternative to the standard cardiac stress tests. Its high reproducibility and excellent image quality of the anatomical features of the left ventricle and left ventricular function at rest and during stress make it an ideal technique for the comprehensive evaluation of patients with suspected coronary artery disease. Besides its ability to detect myocardial ischemia, CMR has proved to be diagnostic for myocardial viability as well. A recent technical refinement in CMR using myocardial tagging has improved the diagnostic accuracy for myocardial ischemia even further. Dobutamine-stress CMR is used to identify wall motion abnormalities of the left ventricle in patients with proven or suspected coronary artery disease [1-4]. Dobutamine-stress CMR has emerged as a highly accurate and safe diagnostic modality [1-4]. Recently, the use of high-dose dobutamine CMR in combination with the myocardial tagging technique has been reported, with excellent diagnostic results. The use of this new technique and the clinical applications are discussed.     

磁共振心功能电影序列快速多参数对比评估危重症STEMI患者的扫描技术探索

目的 阐述磁共振心功能电影序列(CINE)在危重症急性ST段抬高型心肌梗死(STEMI)患者扫描及后处理对比分析中的应用价值.方法 选取临床确诊的危重症STEMI患者1例,通过心脏磁共振成像(CMR)序列的快速优化组合,重点对比分析心功能成像序列,分享扫描经验和技术要点.结果 CMR全部检查时间仅为18 min,CIN...     

Acute myocardial infarction in a young woman: Unexpected findings of a coronary occlusion

In clinical and forensic practice, the cause of death is often attributed to acute myocardial infarction, among which the coronary atherosclerosis being the Captain of the Men of Death. However, other reasons such as coronary septic embolization with neutrophilic granulocyte myocarditis although rare, can also cause sudden unexpected death. This paper reports a case with this rare cause—a 21-year-old woman diagnosed with “acute gastroenteritis” who died 4 days later. A forensic autopsy revealed an inflammatory polypous embolic located at 1.0 cm from the left anterior descending branch (LAD) with serve neutrophilic granulocyte myocarditis, which resulted in embolic at the opening of the left main coronary artery, acute myocardial infarction and eventually leading to her death. Histopathological examination showed large amounts of neutrophilic granulocyte infiltration in the arterial layer forming the septic embolic and eventually resulting in coronary occlusion. To find the real cause of septic embolic, myocarditis, bacterial, fungal, protozoan and virus detection was performed through RT-PCR, with negative findings. Septic embolic leading coronary occlusion in left main coronary artery and LAD is rarely reported in forensic practice, we hope this report can pave the way on understanding this rare disease to make correct diagnosis in medical practice.