Diffusion-weighted imaging of reperfused acute myocardial infarction: effect of intravenous gadolinium-based contrast agent administration

Motivation: Cardiac diffusion-weighted(DW)imaging has proven to be an effective approach to explore ischemia reperfusion myocardium damage and inflammation induced by treatment after reperfusion. Goal(s): The objective of this study was to investigate whether contrast agent (CA) administration significantly affects DWI in the evaluation of reperfused acute myocardial infarction. Approach: The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values,signal intensity(SI) and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR) pre- and post-contrast were measured in the intramyocardial hemorrhage (IMH),edema area and remote regions, respectively. Results: The ADC values in IMH and edema area were not significantly changed between pre- and post-contrast (P>0.05), while the SI of remote myocardium was inhibited and CNRs were reduced. Impact: To better assess ischemia reperfusion myocardium damage, DWI is recommended to perform as much as possible before the gadolinium-based contrast agent administration.