Background: The aim of this follow-up study was to investigate the late effects of acute coronary angioplasty (PTCA) on regional wall motion after the subacute phase of myocardial infarction (MI).
Methods and results: Seventeen patients were investigated initially at a median of 11 days and again at 6 months after acute PTCA for myocardial infarction (< 8 hours after onset of symptoms) by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Corresponding short-axis slices encompassing the left ventricle (LV) were acquired using a standard cine MR for regional wall motion analysis and using delayed contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (ceMRI) for infarct size quantification. The infarct size was similar in the subacute phase and the 6 month follow-up (20.8 and 21.9%, respectively; n.s.). Regional wall motion improved significantly in the area of hyperenhancement [percentage wall thickening (PWT) 21.9% and 37.9%, p < 0.05] in contrast to remote normal myocardium (46.4% and 38.4%; n.s.). Regional wall motion was significantly poorer in transmural compared with nontransmural MI in the subacute stage, and a late improvement could only be observed in transmural MI.
Conclusion: Transmural areas of hyperenhancement displayed significant late long-term improvement of regional wall motion after acute PTCA, possibly related to prolonged stunning compared with nontransmural areas.