Automatic analysis and validation of MRI-perfusion of the heart in patients with possible myocardial infarction.

In this prospective cohort study, all consecutive patients who are referred for contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the heart in daily clinical practice to evaluate possible myocardial infarction will be included if they indeed successfully underwent a contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the heart. Patients are scanned on a 1.5 Tesla MRI-scanner (Avanto Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). All dynamic short-axis-scans will be evaluated by two researchers who will be blinded with respect to patient's demographics, patient's clinical history, each other's findings, and the results of the other method of assessment. All patients will be evaluated by each researcher twice. Once with the currently used visual interpretation to assess myocardial viability on delayed enhancement magnetic resonance imaging and once with computer-aided assessment of myocardial viability on delayed enhancement magnetic resonance imaging using Dynamika-software. The researchers will first indicate whether the image quality is good enough to evaluate the images. Subsequently, the researchers will indicate on a standardized scoring form whether or not an abnormality is present, and in case of an abnormality indicate where the abnormality is located in the myocardium.
Correlation-coefficient will be calculated between the currently used visual interpretation to assess myocardial viability on delayed enhancement magnetic resonance imaging and the computer-aided assessment of myocardial viability on delayed enhancement magnetic resonance imaging. In addition the interobserver-variation between the two researchers for each method of assessment will be calculated. We expect a good correlation between the two methods to assess myocardial viability on delayed enhancement magnetic resonance imaging of the heart.

N/A

Analyses will be performed after the inclusion of patients is finished.

None.