RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Relation between the TIMI frame count and the degree of microvascular injury after primary coronary angioplasty in patients with acute anterior myocardial infarction JF Heart JO Heart FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Cardiovascular Society SP 64 OP 67 DO 10.1136/hrt.2003.029892 VO 91 IS 1 A1 Y Ohara A1 Y Hiasa A1 T Takahashi A1 K Yamaguchi A1 R Ogura A1 T Ogata A1 K Yuba A1 K Kusunoki A1 S Hosokawa A1 K Kishi A1 R Ohtani YR 2005 UL http://heart.bmj.com/content/91/1/64.abstract AB Objective: To investigate the relation between thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count (TFC) and coronary blood flow velocity (CBFV) parameters reflecting the degree of microvascular injury in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Results: TFC and CBFV were measured after primary coronary angioplasty in 103 consecutive patients with their first anterior wall acute myocardial infarction. TFC correlated inversely with the averaged peak velocity (r  =  −0.43, p < 0.0001). However, TFC did not correlate significantly with diastolic deceleration time and with the averaged systolic peak velocity (r  =  −0.16, p  =  0.22, and r  =  −0.23, p  =  0.16, respectively). The patients were divided into two groups according to presence (35 patients) or absence (68 patients) of systolic flow reversal. There was no significant difference in TFC between the two groups (29 (16) v 25 (13), p  =  0.20). Conclusions: These findings suggest that the TFC reflects epicardial CBFV. However, it is not accurate enough to assess the degree of microvascular injury after primary coronary angioplasty.