Integrated FDG PET/MR Imaging for the Assessment of Myocardial Salvage in Reperfused Acute Myocardial Infarction.

PURPOSE: To compare the size of the area with reduced myocardial fluorodeoxygluose (FDG) uptake with the endocardial surface area (ESA) method as a marker for the area at risk in patients with reperfused acute myocardial infarction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was approved by the local institutional review board. All patients gave written informed consent prior to their examination. Twenty-five patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 54 years ± 14) underwent prospective cardiac positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging after acute coronary occlusion and interventional reperfusion. On late gadolinium contrast enhancement images, the size of infarction and the area at risk, as determined with ESA, were assessed and compared with the area of reduced FDG uptake. Statistical analysis comprised paired t tests and Mann-Whitney U tests, as well as Pearson r and Spearman ρ for correlations.

RESULTS: In patients with infarcted myocardium and reduced FDG uptake (n = 18), a good correlation between the area of reduced FDG uptake and the area at risk according to ESA was observed (r = .70, P = .001). The area of reduced FDG uptake (31% ± 11 of left ventricular myocardial mass) was larger than the size of the infarct (10% ± 10, P < .0001) and the area at risk according to ESA (17% ± 13, P < .0001). In six patients, no late contrast enhancement was seen, whereas all patients had an area of reduced FDG uptake (29% ± 8) in the perfusion territory of the culprit artery.

CONCLUSION: In patients with reperfused acute myocardial infarction, the area of reduced FDG uptake correlates with the area at risk as determined with the ESA method and is localized in the perfusion territory of the culprit artery in the absence of necrosis, although the area of reduced FDG uptake largely overestimates the size of the infarct and the ESA-based area at risk.