Introduction:

The evaluation of segmental contractility is an important marker to determine the extent of the coronary disease manifested by an ischaemic event. Cardiac magnetic resonance is the standard pattern to evaluate this contractility. However, due to lower availability of magnetic resonance equipment, as well as the increased cost of magnetic resonance tests, the use of the transthoracic echocardiogram is the diagnostic method of choice.

Objective:

The aim of the study is to compare the evaluation of the motility of different myocardial segments and segments grouped by coronary artery supply territories obtained by cardiac magnetic resonance and transthoracic electrocardiogram performed on patients admitted to hospital with acute myocardial infarction.

Methods:

A cardiac magnetic resonance and transthoracic electrocardiogram was performed on a group of patients that arrived in the Emergency Department due to an acute myocardial infarction, and the results were compared. The cardiac magnetic resonance was the reference value to compare for the ejection fraction and segmental contractility. Comparative tests were performed with 95% confidence limits using a Kappa-Cohen coefficient to evaluate the agreement between the measurements.

Results:

No differences were found between the left ventricular ejection fraction measured by cardiac magnetic resonance and transthoracic electrocardiogram. There was average and good agreement in the coronary and circumflex artery supply territories, respectively. In those associated with the right coronary artery, the concordance was low and average.

Conclusions:

There was no difference between the evaluation of the ejection fraction by transthoracic electrocardiogram or that by cardiac magnetic resonance. In the evaluation of segmental motility, cardiac magnetic resonance was better than transthoracic electrocardiogram.

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