scholarly journals Cardiovascular magnetic resonance frontiers: Tissue characterisation with mapping

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Schofield ◽  
Anish Bhuva ◽  
Katia Manacho ◽  
James C. Moon

The clinical use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has expanded rapidly over the last decade. Its role in cardiac morphological and functional assessment is established, with perfusion and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging for scar increasingly used in day-to-day clinical decision making. LGE allows a virtual histological assessment of the myocardium, with the pattern of scar suggesting disease aetiology, and the extent of predicting risk. However, even combined, the full range of pathological processes occurring in the myocardium are not interrogated. Mapping is a new frontier where the intrinsic magnetic properties of heart muscle are measured to probe further. T1, T2 and T2* mapping measures the three fundamental tissue relaxation rate constants before contrast, and the extracellular volume (ECV) after contrast. These are displayed in colour, often providing an immediate appreciation of pathology. These parameters are differently sensitive to pathologies. Iron (cardiac siderosis, intramyocardial haemorrhage) makes T1, T2 and T2* fall. T2 also falls with fat infiltration (Fabry disease). T2 increases with oedema (acute infarction, takotsubo cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, rheumatological disease). Native T1 increases with fibrosis, oedema and amyloid. Some of these changes are large (e.g. iron, oedema, amyloid), others more modest (diffuse fibrosis). They can be used to detect early disease, distinguish aetiology and, in some circumstances, guide therapy. In this review, we discuss these processes, illustrating clinical application and future advances.

Cardiology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 138 (4) ◽  
pp. 207-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Mavrogeni ◽  
Dimitris Apostolou ◽  
Panayiotis Argyriou ◽  
Stella Velitsista ◽  
Lilika Papa ◽  
...  

The increasing use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is based on its capability to perform biventricular function assessment and tissue characterization without radiation and with high reproducibility. The use of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) gave the potential of non-invasive biopsy for fibrosis quantification. However, LGE is unable to detect diffuse myocardial disease. Native T1 mapping and extracellular volume fraction (ECV) provide knowledge about pathologies affecting both the myocardium and interstitium that is otherwise difficult to identify. Changes of myocardial native T1 reflect cardiac diseases (acute coronary syndromes, infarction, myocarditis, and diffuse fibrosis, all with high T1) and systemic diseases such as cardiac amyloid (high T1), Anderson-Fabry disease (low T1), and siderosis (low T1). The ECV, an index generated by native and post-contrast T1 mapping, measures the cellular and extracellular interstitial matrix (ECM) compartments. This myocyte-ECM dichotomy has important implications for identifying specific therapeutic targets of great value for heart failure treatment. On the other hand, T2 mapping is superior compared with myocardial T1 and ECM for assessing the activity of myocarditis in recent-onset heart failure. Although these indices can significantly affect the clinical decision making, multicentre studies and a community-wide approach (including MRI vendors, funding, software, contrast agent manufacturers, and clinicians) are still missing.


2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (suppl 2) ◽  
pp. S150-S152 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Bazal ◽  
O-A Nastase ◽  
MS Vieira ◽  
A M Maceira Gonzalez ◽  
J Kowal ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 819-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.R. Valsangiacomo Buechel ◽  
L. Grosse-Wortmann ◽  
S. Fratz ◽  
J. Eichhorn ◽  
S. Sarikouch ◽  
...  

This article provides expert opinion on the use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in young patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) and in specific clinical situations. As peculiar challenges apply to imaging children, paediatric aspects are repeatedly discussed. The first section of the paper addresses settings and techniques, including the basic sequences used in paediatric CMR, safety, and sedation. In the second section, the indication, application, and clinical relevance of CMR in the most frequent CHD are discussed in detail. In the current era of multimodality imaging, the strengths of CMR are compared with other imaging modalities. At the end of each chapter, a brief summary with expert consensus key points is provided. The recommendations provided are strongly clinically oriented. The paper addresses not only imagers performing CMR, but also clinical cardiologists who want to know which information can be obtained by CMR and how to integrate it in clinical decision-making.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_G) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Figliozzi ◽  
Sara Bombace ◽  
Kamil Stankowski ◽  
Marzia Olivieri ◽  
Ludovica Lofino ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims Mitral annulus disjunction (MAD) has been associated with sudden cardiac death in selected patients with arrhythmic presentation, while its clinical significance in unselected cohorts remains unknown. Our purpose was to assess the prevalence and clinical significance of MAD in consecutive patients referred to cardiovascular-magnetic-resonance (CMR). Methods and results Our population included 103 consecutive patients undergoing CMR at our Institution, between August and September 2021. MAD was defined as a  ≥ 1 mm atrial displacement of the mitral leaflet hinge point in standard long-axis cine images during end-systole. MAD analysis was performed in 97 patients (feasibility = 94%) and resulted positive in 49 (51%). MAD—patients were more often males (75% vs. 57%; P = 0.045) and affected by ischaemic (35% vs. 12%, P = 0.01) and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy (38% vs. 16%, P = 0.026) compared to MAD+ patients. No significant differences were found in terms of age, history of ventricular arrhythmias, bi-ventricular and bi-atrial volumes, bi-ventricular ejection fraction, native T1 and T2 mapping values, extracellular volume, and prevalence of late gadolinium enhancement (P > 0.05 for all) between MAD + vs. MAD—patients. MAD extent was higher in patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP; n = 7), (3.5 ± 1.5 mm in MVP+ vs. 2.0 ± 1.0 mm in MVP– patients; P = 0.004). No significant differences were conversely found in MAD extent between patients with and without ventricular arrhythmias (2.5 ± 1.1 mm vs. 2.3 ± 1.1 mm; P = 0.815). Conclusions Our findings suggest a high prevalence of MAD in unselected cohorts of patients, with no clinical significance. Prospective studies are needed to further elucidate the interplay between MAD and malignant ventricular arrhythmias in unselected cohorts of patients.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document