300 Diagnostic value of low b value diffusion weighted MRI in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Free breathing diffusion weighted MR images were acquired with a respiratory and ECG gated single shot echo planar sequence with a number of averages of 5, and b values of 0, 50,100,150,200 and 300 s/mm2. LGE MR images were obtained 10 minutes after injection of 0.15 mmol/kg of gadolinium contrast medium. In quantitative analysis, the averaged ADC was 4.6 ± 2.2 × 10-3 mm2/s for normal myocardium and 3.6 ± 1.2 × 10-3 mm2/s for infracted myocardium, being substantially higher than the ADC of water at body temperature. However, blood signal was effectively suppressed on low b value diffusion weighted MRI acquired with b value of 50 s/mm2, permitting visual determination of endocardial border in the dysfunctional segments in patients with AMI.