Assessment of biventricular remodeling by magnetic resonance imaging after successful primary stenting for acute myocardial infarction.

Inferior acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is associated with a better outcome compared with anterior AMI, even in the presence of comparable infarct size. Whether left ventricular remodeling, a major predictor of poor outcome, and right ventricular (RV) remodeling depend on the site of an AMI remains unknown. Biventricular volumes were assessed by magnetic resonance imaging 7 +/- 2 days and 3.4 +/- 0.3 months after successful primary stenting in 51 consecutive patients with inferior or anterior AMI. This study documents RV involvement and biventricular reverse remodeling in patients with inferior AMI in the absence of RV infarction, as opposed to those with anterior AMI who show progressive biventricular remodeling.