Usefulness of myocardial contrast echocardiography using low-power continuous imaging early after acute myocardial infarction to predict late functional left ventricular recovery.

Microvascular perfusion is a prerequisite for ensuring viability early after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). For adequate assessment of myocardial perfusion, both myocardial blood volume and velocity need to be evaluated. Due to its high frame rate, low-power continuous myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) can rapidly assess these parameters of myocardial perfusion.

Rapid assessment of patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute chest pain: troponins, inflammatory markers, or perfusion imaging?

Background: Perfusion imaging during or soon after pain has been shown to provide diagnostic and prognostic information in patients with suspected angina. Measurement of troponin I (TnI) and troponin T (TnT) provides similar information but only several hours after onset of pain. The role of inflammatory markers in this setting is less clear.

Cardiac remodelling in the era of aggressive medical therapy: does it still exist?

Aim: To delineate the natural history of left ventricular remodelling following large anterior myocardial infarction (MI), in the era of aggressive medical therapy.

Methods: Seventeen selected patients underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) at 2 weeks and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months post infarction.

Results: There was a significant increase in left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume index (EDVI) and LV ESVI from 2 weeks to 1 month (P<0.