The hypo-enhanced regions within the hyper-enhanced infarct areas detected by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging reflect microvascular obstruction (MO) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI).  MO was defined by CMR imaging.  CMR imaging is useful for the early detection of irreversible myocardial damage after AMI.
CMR
Microvascular obstruction on delayed enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance imaging after acute myocardial infarction, compared with myocardial (201)Tl and (123)I-BMIPP dual SPECT findings.BACKGROUND
 The combined myocardial thallium-201 ((201)Tl)/iodine-123-15-(p-iodophenyl)-3-(R,S)-methylpentadecanoic acid ((123)I-BMIPP) dual single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a useful tool for detecting myocardial reversibility after AMI.  We evaluated whether MO could be an early predictor of irreversible myocardial damage in comparison with (201)Tl and (123)I-BMIPP dual SPECT findings in AMI patients.


 The %MMS significantly correlated with the %IS and the percentage MO (r=-0.26, p=0.03; r=-0.45, p<0.001, respectively). 
SPECT