Figure 4.
Representative PET examination. Ten-minute static PET myocardial images obtained 6 minutes after injection of C-11 acetate in a treated baboon. Each time, we can compare 5 consecutive transverse myocardial slices from the top (2 days after coronary artery ligation) to the bottom (30 days after myocardial infarction) of the heart: (LF) = left ventricle, (RV) = right ventricle. At day 2, we can see a large, nonviable antero-lateral myocardial infarction (between the 2 arrows in yellow). The mean value of myocardial blood flow decreased in the infarcted area (0.28 mL/min/g of tissue versus 0.75 mL/min/g of tissue in the remote, noninfarcted areas). At day 30, there was a slight increase in tracer uptake in the center of the necrotic zone, but also a clear increase in tracer uptake in the peripheral regions of the necrotic lesion, which led to a reduction of the infarct size (indicated by yellow arrows). At this time, MBF was 0.71 mL/min/g of tissue in the necrotic area versus 0.88 mL/min/g of tissue in the remote areas.