title: Magnetic resonance imaging for characterizing myocardial diseases.
abstract: The National Institute of Health defined cardiomyopathy as diseases of the heart muscle. These myocardial diseases have different etiology, structure and treatment. This review highlights the key imaging features of different myocardial diseases. It provides information on myocardial structure/orientation, perfusion, function and viability in diseases related to cardiomyopathy. The standard cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences can reveal insight on left ventricular (LV) mass, volumes and regional contractile function in all types of cardiomyopathy diseases. Contrast enhanced MRI sequences allow visualization of different infarct patterns and sizes. Enhancement of myocardial inflammation and infarct (location, transmurality and pattern) on contrast enhanced MRI have been used to highlight the key differences in myocardial diseases, predict recovery of function and healing. The common feature in many forms of cardiomyopathy is the presence of diffuse-fibrosis. Currently, imaging sequences generating the most interest in cardiomyopathy include myocardial strain analysis, tissue mapping (T1, T2,T2*) and extracellular volume (ECV) estimation techniques. MRI sequences have the potential to decode the etiology by showing various patterns of infarct and diffuse fibrosis in myocarditis, amyloidosis, sarcoidosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy due to aortic stenosis, restrictive cardiomyopathy, arrythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia and hypertension. Integrated PET/MRI system may add in the future more information for the diagnosis and progression of cardiomyopathy diseases. With the promise of high spatial/temporal resolution and 3D coverage, MRI will be an indispensible tool in diagnosis and monitoring the benefits of new therapies designed to treat myocardial diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, Suite 350, Campus Box 0946, San Francisco, CA, 94107-5705, USA. msaeed@UCSF.edu.
authors.forename: Maythem
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5768-8385
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saeed
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Chang-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, Suite 350, Campus Box 0946, San Francisco, CA, 94107-5705, USA.
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014022:Tissue Survival; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
keywords: Cardiomyopathy; Heart muscles; Magnetic resonance imaging