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Updated: Jan 19, 2026
Myocardial Infarction and Functional Outcome Assessment in Pigs
Published on: April 25, 2014
Potential Utility of Non-gated Enhanced Computed Tomography for an Early Diagnosis of Myocardial Infarctions
Riku Arai1, Daisuke Fukamachi1, Yasunari Ebuchi1
1Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Nihon University School of Medicine, Japan.
Insights
Diagnosing acute myocardial infarctions (MIs) without ECG changes is difficult. Non-gated enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans can reveal perfusion defects in infarcted myocardium, aiding early MI diagnosis and treatment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Acute myocardial infarctions (MIs) can present without significant ST-segment changes on electrocardiograms (ECGs), complicating diagnosis.
- Ruling out other life-threatening conditions like aortic dissection and pulmonary embolism is crucial in patients with chest pain.
Observation:
- Two patients with chest pain, initially lacking clear ECG indicators of MI, underwent non-gated enhanced computed tomography (CT).
- The CT scans were initially performed to exclude aortic dissection and pulmonary embolism.
Findings:
- Non-gated enhanced CT imaging identified focal myocardial perfusion defects, indicative of acute myocardial infarction.
- These findings facilitated the early diagnosis of acute MI in both patients.
Implications:
- Non-gated enhanced CT is a valuable tool for diagnosing acute MI when ECG findings are equivocal.
- Early diagnosis via CT enabled timely and successful urgent revascularization procedures.
Abstract:
The diagnosis of acute myocardial infarctions (MIs) is challenging when no significant ischemic ST-segment changes are noted on a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). We herein report two patients suffering from chest pain in whom non-gated enhanced computed tomography (CT) images were used to rule out aortic dissection and pulmonary embolism, aiding in the early diagnosis of an acute MI. Subsequently, urgent revascularization was successfully performed in these patients. In non-gated enhanced CT imaging, the infarcted myocardium is initially visible as a focal myocardial perfusion defect.
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