title: Utility of magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of left ventricular thickening.
abstract: Left ventricular (LV) thickening can be due to hypertrophy (concentric, asymmetric, eccentric) or remodelling (concentric or asymmetric). Pathological thickening may be caused by pressure overload, volume overload, infiltrative disorders, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, athlete's heart or neoplastic infiltration. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an important role in the comprehensive evaluation of LV thickening, including: establishing diagnosis, determining LV geometry, establishing aetiology, quantification, identifying prognostic factors, serial follow-up and treatment response. In this article, we review the aetiologies and pathophysiology of LV thickening, and demonstrate the comprehensive role of MRI in the evaluation of LV thickening.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • MRI plays an important role in the evaluation of LV thickening. • LV thickening can be due to either hypertrophy or remodelling. • Pathological thickening can be due to pressure/volume overload or infiltrative disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fulton
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA. radprabhakar@gmail.com.|Department of Radiology Cardiothoracic Imaging, UT Southwestern Medical Center, E6.120 B, Mail code 9316, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX, 75390-8896, USA. radprabhakar@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Prabhakar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rajiah
keywords: Cardiac; Hypertension; Hypertrophy; LV thickening; MRI