Impact on adenosine stress cardiac magnetic resonance for recanalisation and follow up of chronic total coronary occlusions.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) with adenosine stress and delayed enhancement for indication and follow up after interventional recanalisation of chronic total coronary occlusions (CTOs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty consecutive patients (15 males; 5 females; mean age 65 years) with CTO verified by cardiac catheterisation referred to CMRI. Sixteen of them got CMRI before and after coronary recanalisation. Wall motion abnormalities (WMAs), first pass perfusion with adenosine and viability were assessed using a 1.5 T MR scanner (Sonata; Siemens). CMRI results were compared with clinical classifications, the results of cardiac catheterisation and follow up angiography. RESULTS: Sixteen patients had a successful recanalisation, 15 of the occluded coronary artery and one of collateral donor artery stenosis. After recanalisation all stress-induced progressive or new wall motion abnormalities (WMAs) of the corresponding segments and in the collateral donor territory (5 patients) and all adenosine induced perfusion defects (PD) or delay (12 patients) were regredient. 13/16 patients showed no transmural and one patient transmural delayed enhancement (DE) indicating myocardial scar. In 10/16 patients CSS grading of angina improved after recanalisation. CONCLUSION: After successful recanalisation of CTOs, patients with preinterventional stress-induced PDs and WMAs in viable myocardium did not display any signs of stress-induced ischemia postinterventionally. A comprehensive CMRI approach, including assessment of rest and stress WMAs, first pass perfusion and myocardial viability represents an important tool for the pre-interventional decision to recanalise CTOs and follow up.

Localized reversible reduction of apparent diffusion coefficient in transient hypoglycemia-induced hemiparesis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The pathophysiology of hypoglycemia shares a common mechanism with cerebral ischemia, but so far, little is known regarding MRI of humans with hypoglycemia. METHODS: We report a patient with left hemiparesis and dysarthria associated with a blood glucose level of 1.7 mmol/L. The patient recovered completely after glucose infusion. RESULTS: The initial diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) showed increased signal intensities and a reduction of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values localized in the corpus callosum (splenium) and asymmetrically in the corona radiata. After 48 hours, follow-up revealed complete recovery of DWI and ADC signal abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first presentation of a case with transient hypoglycemia-induced focal neurological deficits revealing completely reversible MRI changes in terms of disturbed DWI and ADC with a peculiar as yet undescribed topography.