Intramyocardial hemorrhage in spontaneously reperfused myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE. The presence of intramyocardial hemorrhage (IMH) is frequent in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). We aim for the presence IMH using cMRI in patients who presented AMI and did not undergo PPCI or thrombolysis. Cardiac magnetic resonance has proven to be a highly sensitive method for detect its presence in the ischemic damaged tissue. MATERIAL AND METHODS. Patients admitted with diagnosis of ST elevation myocardial infarction > 24 h after initial presentation and without reperfusion therapy were enrolled in the study. All patients underwent cardiac magnetic resonance for detecting edema, microvascular obstruction and intramyocardial hemorrhage, followed by coronary angiography. RESULTS. Seven male patients, with median age of 53 years, were enrolled. Cardiac magnetic resonance showed that all patients had microvascular obstruction and edema. Two of them had intramyocardial hemorrhage in association with spontaneous reperfusion demonstrated by angiography. CONCLUSION. The results of our study show that in patients with acute myocardial infarction, intramyocardial hemorrhage occurs not only after therapeutic, but also after spontaneous reperfusion. This is the first time that its presence is demonstrated by cardiac magnetic resonance.