Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance tomography in patients with myocardial infarction and supraventricular tachyarrhythmias

Contrast-enhanced MRI of the heart was employed for visual detection of risk as well of anatomic locations of atrial arrhythmias in patients with previous myocardial infarction. Data showed that pathologic uptake of paramagnetic to the atrial myocardium with enhancement index over 1.27 (in T1-weighted spin-echo mode) and concomitant increase of left atrial volume over 75 mL provided prognostic factor for manifestation of atrial tachyarrhythmias and endocardial destruction procedure in the nearest future. Therefore the contrast-enhanced MRI can be included to the diagnostic algorithm for patients with ischaemic heart disease and risk of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias.