Magnetic resonance imaging and multi-detector computed tomography assessment of extracellular compartment in ischemic and non-ischemic myocardial pathologies

Figure 4 The top left plot shows the time course of equilibrium state of iodinated contrast media distribution in the extracellular volume of the blood (dashed line), healthy myocardium (solid line) and skeletal muscle (dotted line) over the course of 10 min using multi-detector computed tomography. The plots also demonstrate the remarkable difference in myocardial extracellular volume (MECV) in regions subjected to different insults. Differential increase in ECV was observed in ischemic myocardium after microembolization using 16 mm³ (top right), 32 mm³ (bottom left) or 90 min left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion/reperfusion (bottom right) compared with undamaged remote myocardium in all groups (dotted lines). MDCT: Multi-detector computed tomography.