Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging of functional and microstructural changes of the heart in a longitudinal pig model of acute to chronic myocardial infarction.

During chronic follow-up after myocardial infarction, cardiac diffusion tensor imaging provides a higher sensitivity for mapping microstructural alterations when compared to non-contrast enhanced relaxometry with the added benefit of providing directional tensor information to assess remodelling of myocyte aggregate orientations, which cannot be otherwise assessed.