Determinants of infarct size in acute myocardial infarction in patients treated with reperfusion therapy

Infarct size after reperfusion therapy is determined by the extent of myocardium at risk, the degree of residual blood flow within the jeopardized zone, and the duration of coronary occlusion. This review article will explore the noninvasive methods that have been used to measure these variables. Recent advances in nuclear cardiology techniques will be discussed in detail, because new agents have the ability to accurately quantify these variables.