Evolution of myocardial tissue injury over a decade after ST-elevation myocardial infarction: a cardiac magnetic resonance study

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Austrian Society of Cardiology Background In patients with first ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the evolution of myocardial tissue injury parameters over a decade as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has not yet been described. Purpose This study examined long-term myocardial tissue injury dynamics in STEMI patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), as well as its association with patient characteristics. Methods A total of 104 patients with STEMI were included in this observational study. Sequential late gadolinium enhanced CMR studies (after 3 days [interquartile ranges (IQR) 2-4], 4 months [IQR 4-5] and 9 years [IQR 8-10]) were conducted to assess left ventricular (LV) dimensions and function, infarct size and microvascular obstruction (MVO). T2* mapping was added at 9 year scan to assess the presence of persistent iron within the infarct core. Results Infarct size decreased progressively from 13% of LV myocardial mass [IQR 7-21] to 10.2% [IQR 5.2-16.1] to 8% [IQR 2.4-12.3] (p