Late gadolinium-enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging and angiographic characteristics of patients referred for evaluation of new onset cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Background Late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) is an emerging non invasive tool for the assessment of etiology of new onset cardiomyopathy (CMP). Specific patterns of LGE-CMR have been shown to be accurate for distinguishing ischemic from nonischemic CMP. We evaluated imaging and angiographic characteristics for different types of CMP based on LGE-CMR. Methods Eighty nine consecutive patients were referred for evaluation of CMP by LGE-CMR. Patients were classified as ischemic CMP based on presence of subendocardial and/or transmural LGE in a coronary artery distribution pattern on CMR. Patients with none, midwall or subepicardial LGE pattern were classified as non ischemic CMP. Patients with mixed patterns of LGE (ie: subendocardial and midwall) were classified as mixed CMP. In the subset of 57 patients with recent angiography, the predictive value of CMR for diagnosing ischemic CMP (left main, proximal LAD, or 2 vessel disease) was assessed.