Low-dosage dobutamine magnetic resonance imaging as an alternative to echocardiography in the detection of viable myocardium after acute infarction.

The objective of this study was the evaluation of the feasibility of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the heart with low-dosage dobutamine stimulation for the detection of viability after acute myocardial infarction. Gradient echo MR images were obtained in 37 patients with recent myocardial infarction. Images of wall motion abnormalities and their reaction to low-dosage dobutamine stimulation were analyzed and compared with two-dimensional echocardiograms. Follow-up echocardiography at 3 to 6 months was available in 24 patients. Concordant diagnosis of viability between the two techniques was obtained in 30 (81%) of 37 patients. MR correctly predicted evolution of wall motion in 19 (79%) of 24 patients, a result not significantly different from echocardiography: 20 (83%) of 24. It was concluded that low-dosage dobutamine MR imaging is a safe alternative to echocardiography to predict recovery of wall motion abnormalities after myocardial infarction.