Review
Copyright ©2012 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Cardiol. Apr 26, 2012; 4(4): 103-111
Published online Apr 26, 2012. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v4.i4.103
Investigation of cardiomyopathy using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging part 1: Common phenotypes
Shaunagh McDermott, Ailbhe C O’Neill, Carole A Ridge, Jonathan D Dodd
Shaunagh McDermott, Ailbhe C O’Neill, Carole A Ridge, Jonathan D Dodd, Cardiac CT and MRI Program, St. Vincent’s University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4, Ireland
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the paper.
Correspondence to: Jonathan D Dodd, Professor, Consultant Radiologist and Associate Professor, Cardiac CT and MRI Program, St. Vincent’s University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4, Ireland. j.dodd@st-vincents.ie
Telephone: +353-87-2987313 Fax: +353-1-2694533
Received: January 29, 2012
Revised: March 26, 2012
Accepted: April 2, 2012
Published online: April 26, 2012
Abstract

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) has emerged as a useful tertiary imaging tool in the investigation of patients suspected of many different types of cardiomyopathies. CMRI sequences are now of a sufficiently robust quality to enable high spatial and temporal resolution image acquisition. This has led to CMRI becoming an effective non-invasive imaging gold standard for many cardiomyopathies. In this 2-part review, we outline the typical sequences used to image cardiomyopathy, and present the imaging spectrum of cardiomyopathy. Part 1 focuses on the current classification of cardiomyopathy, basic CMRI sequences used in evaluating cardiomyopathy and the imaging spectrum of common phenotypes.

Keywords: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, Cardiomyopathies