Cardiovascular magnetization transfer ratio imaging compared with histology: A postmortem study. Issue 4 (October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Crooijmans, Hendrikus J.A.; Ruder, Thomas D.; Zech, Wolf‐Dieter; Somaini, Sandra; Scheffler, Klaus; Thali, Michael J.; Bieri, Oliver
• Is Part Of: Journal of magnetic resonance imaging. Volume 40:Issue 4(2014)
• Page Start: spcone
• Page End: spcone
• Publication Date: 2014-10
• Subjects: Magnetic resonance imaging -- Periodicals; 616
• DOI: 10.1002/jmri.24750
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1053-1807

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>Cardiovascular magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) imaging by steady state free precession is a promising imaging method to assess microstructural changes within the myocardium. Hence, MTR imaging was correlated to histological analysis. Three postmortem cases were selected based on a suspicion of myocardial infarction. MTR and <italic>T<sub>2</sub></italic>‐weighted (<italic>T<sub>2w</sub></italic>) imaging was performed, followed by autopsy and histological analysis. All tissue abnormalities, identified by autopsy or histology, were retrospectively selected on visually matched MTR and <italic>T<sub>2w</sub></italic> images, and corresponding MTR values compared with normal appearing tissue. Regions of elevated MTR (up to approximately 20%, as compared to normal tissue), appearing hypo‐intense in <italic>T<sub>2w</sub></italic>‐images, revealed the presence of fibrous tissue in microscopic histological analysis. Macroscopic observation (autopsy) described scar tissue only in one case. Regions of reduced MTR (up to approximately 20%) corresponded either to (i) the presence of edema, appearing hyperintense in <italic>T<sub>2w</sub></italic>‐images and confirmed by autopsy, or to (ii) inflammatory granulocyte infiltration at a microscopic level, appearing as hypo‐intense <italic>T<sub>2w</sub></italic>‐signal, but not observed by autopsy. Findings from cardiovascular MTR imaging corresponded to histology results. In contrast to <italic>T<sub>2w</sub></italic>‐imaging, MTR imaging discriminated between normal myocardium, scar tissue and regions of acute myocardial infarction in all three cases. <bold>J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;40:915–919</bold>. © <bold>2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.</bold></p> </abstract>