Extracellular volume imaging by magnetic resonance imaging provides insights into overt and sub-clinical myocardial pathology

AIMS: Conventional late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiac magnetic resonance can detect myocardial infarction and some forms of non-ischaemic myocardial fibrosis. However, quantitative imaging of extracellular volume fraction (ECV) may be able to detect subtle abnormalities such as diffuse fibrosis or post-infarct remodelling of remote myocardium. The aims were (1) to measure ECV in myocardial infarction and non-ischaemic myocardial fibrosis, (2) to determine whether ECV varies with age, and (3) to detect sub-clinical abnormalities in 'normal appearing' myocardium remote from regions of infarction. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cardiac magnetic resonance ECV imaging was performed in 126 patients with T1 mapping…

• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Award: 1 Z01 HL004607-08 CE
• NH
  National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

  Award: 1 Z01 HL004607-08