BackgroundFinal infarct size following coronary occlusion is determined by the duration of ischemia, the size of myocardium at risk (MaR) and reperfusion injury. The reference method for determining MaR, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) before reperfusion, is impractical in an acute setting. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether MaR can be determined from the contrast enhanced myocardium using steady-state free precession (SSFP) cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) performed one week after the acute event in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients with total coronary occlusion.ResultsSixteen patients with STEMI (age 64 ± 8 years) received intravenous 99 m-Tc immediately before primary percutaneous coronary intervention. SPECT was performed within four hours. MaR was defined as the non-perfused myocardial volume derived with SPECT. CMR was performed 7.8 ± 1.2 days after the myocardial infarction using a protocol in which the contrast agent was administered before acquisition of short-axis SSFP cines. MaR was evaluated as the contrast enhanced myocardial volume in the cines by two blinded observers. MaR determined from the enhanced region on cine CMR correlated significantly with that derived with SPECT (r2 = 0.78, p < 0.001). The difference in MaR determined by CMR and SPECT was 0.5 ± 5.1% (mean ± SD). The interobserver variability of contrast enhanced cine SSFP measurements was 1.6 ± 3.7% (mean ± SD) of the left ventricle wall volume.ConclusionsContrast enhanced SSFP cine CMR performed one week after acute infarction accurately depicts MaR prior to reperfusion in STEMI patients with total occlusion undergoing primary PCI. This suggests that a single CMR examination might be performed for determination of MaR and infarct size.

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Background-Patients with diabetes mellitus have reduced longevity after acute coronary syndromes and revascularization.However, knowledge of the long-term complication rates and patterns from an everyday life setting is lacking. Methods and Results-Consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention included in the Swedish Coronary Angiography Angioplasty Registry (SCAAR) between 2006 and 2010 and with no previous revascularization were prospectively followed up for combined cardiovascular events (first of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure) until December 31, 2010. The mean follow-up period was 920 days (SD, 530 days