MRI Shows Plaque Triggers Heart Attack
Plaque rupture and ulceration is common in women who suffer heart attacks, but whose angiographs show no coronary artery disease, according to a study published online in the journal Circulation.
Plaque rupture and ulceration is common in women who suffer heart attacks, but whose angiographs show no coronary artery disease, according to a study published online in the journal Circulation.
Researchers from New York University and the University of British Columbia used intravascular ultrasound and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to see what angiography seemed to be missing. NYU’s Harmony Reynolds, MD, and colleagues enrolled 50 women who had had myocardial infarction but who had with less than 50 percent angiographic stenosis. The team performed intravascular ultrasound during angiography and cardiac MRI within seven days of that.
Fifteen patients, or 30 percent, had normal angiograms. Plaque disruption was observed in 16 of 42 patients (38 percent) undergoing intravascular ultrasound. In 26 of 44 patients (59 percent), cardiac MRI results were abnormal, with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in 17 patients and indications of edema in nine additional patients. The most common LGE pattern was ischemic, but nonischemic LGE patterns were also observed.
Reynolds and colleagues say Intravascular ultrasound and cardiac MRI provide are valuable complements in assessing female myocardial infarction patients without obstructive coronary artery disease, and may be useful in identifying potential causes and therapies.
Newsletter
Stay at the forefront of radiology with the Diagnostic Imaging newsletter, delivering the latest news, clinical insights, and imaging advancements for today’s radiologists.
The Reading Room Podcast: A Closer Look at Remote MRI Safety, Part 2
July 25th 2025In the second of a multi-part podcast episode, Emanuel Kanal, M.D. and Tobias Gilk, MRSO, MRSE, share their perspectives on remote MRI safety protocols for ensuring screening accuracy and adherence to conditional implant guidelines as well as a rapid and effective response to adverse events.
Study Reveals Significant Prevalence of Abnormal PET/MRI and Dual-Energy CT Findings with Long Covid
July 22nd 2025In a prospective study involving nearly 100 patients with Long Covid, 57 percent of patients had PET/MRI abnormalities and 90 percent of the cohort had abnormalities on dual-energy CT scans.
The Reading Room Podcast: Current and Emerging Insights on Abbreviated Breast MRI, Part 2
July 23rd 2025In the second part of a multi-part podcast episode, Stamatia Destounis, MD, Emily Conant, MD and Habib Rahbar, MD, discuss key sequences for abbreviated breast MRI and how it stacks up to other breast cancer screening modalities.
Stroke MRI Study Assesses Impact of Motion Artifacts Upon AI and Radiologist Lesion Detection
July 16th 2025Noting a 7.4 percent incidence of motion artifacts on brain MRI scans for suspected stroke patients, the authors of a new study found that motion artifacts can reduce radiologist and AI accuracy for detecting hemorrhagic lesions.
