State-of-the-art paper
The quantification of infarct size

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2004.06.071Get rights and content
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We sought to summarize the published evidence regarding the measurement of infarct size by serum markers, technetium-99m sestamibi single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging. The measurement of infarct size is an attractive surrogate end point for the early assessment of new therapies for acute myocardial infarction. For each of these three approaches, we reviewed reports published in English providing the clinical validation for the measurement of infarct size and the relevant clinical trial experience. The measurement of infarct size by serum markers has multiple theoretical and practical limitations. The measurement of troponin is promising, but the available data validating this marker are limited. Sestamibi SPECT imaging has five separate lines of published evidence supporting its validity and has received extensive study in multicenter trials. Magnetic resonance imaging has great promise but has less clinical validation and no multicenter trial experience. Therefore, SPECT sestamibi imaging is currently the best available technique for the quantitation of infarct size to assess the incremental treatment benefit of new therapies in multicenter trials of acute myocardial infarction.

Abbreviations and acronyms

CK
creatine kinase
CK-MB
creatine kinase-MB fraction
HBDH
hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase
MI
myocardial infarction
MRI
magnetic resonance imaging
SPECT
single-photon emission computed tomography
Tc
technetium

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Dr. Gibbons has received research grants from Medtronic, King Pharm, Wyeth-Ayerst, Radiant Medical, Alsius Corp., Ther Ox, Innercool Therapies, Boston Scientific, Spectranectics, KAI Pharmaceuticals, and Boehringer Ingelheim and is a consultant for CV Therapeutics, DOV Pharmaceuticals, King Pharm, Medicure, Hawaii Biotech, Glaxo Smith Kline, Molecular Insight Pharm, Ther Ox, and TargeGen. Dr. Jaffe’s potential conflicts include Roche, Dade-Behring, and Beckman Coulter (consulting and research funds) and Pfizer, Abbott, and Sensera (consulting).