Visualization of infarction using fractional anisotropy

A study was conducted to visualize infarction using fractional anisotropy. The study introduced a scalar index of three-dimensional regional myocardial strain for detection and localization of myocardial infarction. Myocardial infarction (MI) was induced by LAD coronary artery ligation in a pig and gadolinium contrast was performed after infarction and delayed enhancement (DE) viability images were acquired. The zHARP pulse sequence was run on a commercial Philips 3T-Achieva whole body system, yielding 8-10 slices from which midventricular three-dimensional strains were computed. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was evaluated at each voxel for all time frames within one cardiac cycle and the mid-diastolic tagged images were registered to the corresponding DE images, while Harp tracking was used to register the FA occurring at end-systole with the DE intensities observed on the mid-diastolic geometry.