Advancing Cardiovascular Diagnostics: The Expanding Role of CMR in Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathies

Overview

Journal J Clin Med

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2025 Feb 13

PMID 39941536

Authors

Antonio Luca Maria Parlati

Ermanno Nardi

Federica Marzano

Cristina Madaudo

Mariafrancesca Di Santo

Ciro Cotticelli

Simone Agizza

Giuseppe Maria Abbellito

Fabrizio Perrone Filardi

Mario Del Giudice

Francesco Ruggiero Annunziata

Isabel Martone

Maria Prastaro

Stefania Paolillo

Pasquale Perrone Filardi

Paola Gargiulo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has become a cornerstone in the diagnosis, risk stratification, and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly heart failure (HF) and cardiomyopathies. Renowned as the gold standard for non-invasive quantification of ventricular volumes and ejection fraction, CMR delivers superior spatial and temporal resolution with excellent tissue-blood contrast. Recent advancements, including T1, T2, and T2* mapping, extracellular volume quantification, and late gadolinium enhancement, enable precise tissue characterization, allowing early detection of myocardial changes such as fibrosis, edema, and infiltration. These features provide critical insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying HF phenotypes and diverse cardiomyopathies, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and guiding therapeutic decisions. This review explores the expanding role of CMR in CV disease, highlighting its diagnostic value in HF and in several cardiomyopathies, as well as its contribution to improving patient outcomes through detailed tissue characterization and prognosis.

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