Helix Angle structure appears preserved after myocardial infarction: a preclinical and ex vivo Diffusion Tensor CMR study

Motivation: Changes in myocardial microstructure that underlie post-myocardial infarction (MI) left ventricular (LV) remodelling may contribute to progressive deterioration in cardiac function and increased risk of adverse clinical events. Goal(s): To assess post-MI temporal alterations of myocardial microstructure. Approach: A longitudinal Diffusion Tensor CMR (DT-CMR) pre-clinical study was performed, including healthy, 3 days and 4 months post-MI timepoints, followed by ex-vivo imaging at low and high spatial resolution. Results: High-resolution ex-vivo DT-CMR suggests preserved helical structure within the infarct core in this swine MI model, with endocardial layers appearing more compressed than mid and epicardial layers. Impact: Improved understanding of temporal alteration of myocardial microstructure and its dynamics post-MI as seen by in-vivo DT-CMR may facilitate diagnosis and prognostication after MI.