The role of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging following acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Advances in the management of myocardial infarction have resulted in substantial reductions in morbidity and mortality.

METHODS: However, after acute treatment a number of diagnostic and prognostic questions often remain to be answered, whereby cardiac imaging plays an essential role.

RESULTS: For example, some patients will sustain early mechanical complications after infarction, while others may develop significant ventricular dysfunction. Furthermore, many individuals harbour a significant burden of residual coronary disease for which clarification of functional ischaemic status and/or viability of the suspected myocardial territory is required.

CONCLUSION: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is well positioned to fulfil these requirements given its unparalleled capability in evaluating cardiac function, stress ischaemia testing and myocardial tissue characterisation. This review will focus on the utility of CMR in resolving diagnostic uncertainty, evaluating early complications following myocardial infarction, assessing inducible ischaemia, myocardial viability, ventricular remodelling and the emerging role of CMR-derived measures as endpoints in clinical trials.

KEY POINTS: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging identifies early complications after myocardial infarction. • Adenosine stress CMR can reliably assess co-existing disease in non-culprit arteries. • Assessment of infarct size and microvascular obstruction a robust prognostic indicator. • Assessment of myocardial viability is important to guide revascularisation decision-making.