CORRELATION OF POST INFARCTION MYOCARDIAL BLUSH GRADE WITH ST-SEGMENT PATTERNS AND ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC FINDINGS

Abstract

After prolonged myocardial ischemia following acute myocardial infarction, the microvascular network can be functionally and/or structurally damaged, and re-opening of an epicardial vessel may not be followed by adequate myocardial reperfusion, a condition referred to as "no-or low-reflow" phenomenon. Also the microvascular damage may be aggravated by reperfusion itself, a condition referred to as "reperfusion injury".

This reflect the importance of assessing the relation between coronary reflow and myocardial reflow and also assessment of microvascular integrily.

There are several methods for this purpose including: myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE), ST-segment resolution, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), SPECT, positron emission tomography (PET), cardiac markers, epicardial TIMI flow grade, coronary Doppler flow wires and recently TIMI myocardial perfusion grade (myocardial blush grade), which has provided a new simple angiographic parameter to describe the effectiveness of myocardial reperfusion.

The aim of this study is to assess the relationship of myocardial blush grade to ST-segment patterns and echocardiographic findings in post myocardial infarction.

This study included forty post myocardial infarction patients within the last 6 months.