Acute Myocardial Infarction: Comparison of T2‐Weighted and T1‐Weighted Gadolinium‐DTPA Enhanced MR Imaging

Magnetic resonance images were obtained from 32 patients with acute myocardial infarction, using a four‐echo technique (echo time (TE) = 30, 60, 90, and 120 ms) pre‐gadolinium(Gd)‐DTPA injection and a TE = 30 ms sequence pre‐ and post‐Gd‐DTPA. Intensity ratios of infarcted and normal myocardium were calculated, as were contrast‐to‐noise and signal‐to‐noise ratios. The four intensity ratios pre‐Gd‐DTPA were 1.20 ±0.15, 1.42 ± 0.22, 1.78 ± 0.38, and 1.99 ± 0.60 for TE = 30, 60, 90, and 120 ms, respectively, and 1.42 ± 0.19 post‐Gd‐DTPA ( p = NS for post‐Gd‐DTPA vs TE = 60, p = 0.007 for TE = 90 vs TE = 120, p < 0.0001 for all other comparisons). The four contrast‐to‐noise ratios pre‐Gd‐DTPA were 1.69 ± 0.97, 2.69 ± 1.13, 3.17 ± 1.15, and 2.90 ± 1.09 for TE = 30, 60, 90, and 120 ms, respectively, and 2.71 ± 1.26 post‐Gd‐DTPA ( p = NS for post‐Gd‐DTPA vs TE = 60, 90, and 120, p = NS for TE = 120 vs TE = 60 and 90, p < 0.01 for all other comparisons). The four signal‐to‐noise ratios pre‐Gd‐DTPA were 8.67 ± 1.47, 6.52 ± 0.76, 5.20 ± 0.64, 4.17 ± 0.53 for TE = 30, 60, 90, and 120 ms, respectively, and 9.17 ± 1.92 post‐Gd‐DTPA ( p = 0.03 for post‐Gd‐DTPA vs TE = 30, p < 0.0001 for all other comparisons). In conclusion, the detectabilities of acute myocardial infarction were similar at TE = 60 ms and at Gd‐DTPA enhanced short‐TE MR imaging. However, image quality proved to be superior using the Gd‐DTPA enhanced short‐TE technique. © 1991 Academic Press, Inc.