We studied 15 patients 4 to 8 days after myocardial infarction by using ECG gated MR before and after administration of 0.2 mmol/kg Gd-DOTA. The diagnosis in each patient was confirmed by electrocardiographic criteria, elevated levels of fractionated creatine kinase (CK) isoenzyme, thallium scintigraphy, ventriculography and coronarography. T1-weighted, spin-echo images, were obtained before and immediately after injection of Gd-DOTA and were repeated 15 min later. The site of infarction was visualised in 10 patients as an area of high signal intensity after the injection of Gd-DOTA. Contrast between normal and infarcted myocardium was greatest 15 min after injection. Three patients were excluded because of failure to acquire adequate MR studies. In 2 other patients, the infarct were not detected. Before injection of Gd-DOTA, only 2 infarcts were detected. These results suggest that Gd-DOTA can improve MR visualisation and detection of acute myocardial infarction.