Long-term survival after a massive left ventricular infarction evidenced by FDG-PET and leaving intact only the...

There is evidence that survival remains possible for infarction greater than 50% of the left ventricle in human, as well as in the rat infarct model. To our knowledge, survival has not been documented for infarctions involving the anterior, inferior and lateral wall leaving intact only the septal wall. An adult rat underwent a ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. ECG-triggered (18)F-ffluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography revealed that 72% of the left ventricle was necrotic and totally akinetic. Although the left ventricular ejection fraction was severely impaired (9%), this rat survived and was asymptomatic after 2 months. The exact reasons for this incredible survival are still unclear.