True versus false left ventricular aneurysm: differentiation with MR imaging--initial experience.

Purpose: To assess the usefulness of cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for differentiation of true from false left ventricular aneurysm in patients after myocardial infarction.

Materials And Methods: Cardiac MR images obtained in 22 sequential patients (20 men, two women; mean age, 63 years; age range, 45-75 years) with pathologically proved left ventricular true aneurysm (n = 18) or false aneurysm (n = 4) after myocardial infarction were retrospectively analyzed. The MR imaging protocol included steady-state cine imaging followed by perfusion measurement and delayed contrast-enhanced imaging with delays of 15 and 20 minutes.