Unrecognised myocardial infarction (UMI) may be more prevalent than previously suspected. Although several population studies have described the prevalence of UMI based on ECG findings, this method has limited sensitivity. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging with late gadolinium enhancement has been extensively validated for the detection of myocardial infarction. The aim of this study was […]
Tag: MRI
CE-MARC shows strength of perfusion MRI
In recent years it has become clear that treatment of coronary artery disease – and in particular percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) – must be guided by imaging techniques that give some information on the extent of myocardial ischaemia. While nuclear medicine techniques such as SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography) have become widespread, and have a […]
MRI study gives new insights into stress (takotsubo) cardiomyopathy
Stress Cardiomyopathy (SC), originally described as takotsubo, is characterised by severe – but reversible – impairment of left ventricular function in the absence of significant coronary artery disease. The vast majority of patients present with symptoms similar to those of an acute coronary syndrome, and tend to have good outcomes despite the initial severity of […]
Erythropoietin fails to reduce myocardial damage in STEMI
Patients who survive STEMI often go on to develop infarct expansion and myocardial thinning which can lead to heart failure and, ultimately, death. In an attempt to limit this phenomenon, several agents have been proposed, amongst them erythropoietin. In addition to its effects on red blood cell production, erythropoietin also stimulates angiogenesis and apoptosis, and […]