Standardized image interpretation and post processing in cardiovascular magnetic resonance: Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) board of trustees task force on standardized post processing.

With mounting data on its accuracy and prognostic value, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is becoming an increasingly important diagnostic tool with growing utility in clinical routine. Given its versatility and wide range of quantitative parameters, however, agreement on specific standards for the interpretation and post-processing of CMR studies is required to ensure consistent quality and reproducibility of CMR reports. This document addresses this need by providing consensus recommendations developed by the Task Force for Post-Processing of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR). The aim of the Task Force is to recommend requirements and standards for image interpretation and post-processing enabling qualitative and quantitative evaluation of CMR images. Furthermore, pitfalls of CMR image analysis are discussed where appropriate. It is an update of the original recommendations published 2013.

Non-Invasive Imaging in Coronary Syndromes: Recommendations of The European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging and the American Society of Echocardiography, in Collaboration with The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, and Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance

Canadian Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CanSCMR) Recommendations for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Image Analysis and Reporting

BackgroundThere is a gap between China and developed countries in Europe and America as to the normalization of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) diagnostic reports. The aim of this study was to construct a structured CMR report template suitable for China's actual conditions.MethodsCardiac magnetic resonance standardized image interpretation and post‐processing guidelines and CMR report guidelines are the consensus and recommendations of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) experts whose goal is to ensure the consistent quality and repeatability of CMR reports. This structured CMR report template was constructed based on the guidelines for standardized image interpretation, post processing and reporting of CMR examinations, combined with the experiences learned in Germany and the practical experiences in China. It consisted of three parts: Device and Methods, Findings (Structure and function, Tissue Characterization), Summary and Conclusion. Detailed directions were provided section by section.ResultsThis structured CMR report template underlined the comprehensive analysis of the results of morphological, functional and tissue characteristics to provide conclusive opinions and answer the corresponding important questions raised by the clinicians.ConclusionThe standardization of qualitative and quantitative assessments of CMR results is the core of structured reporting of CMR.

The Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) is an international society focused on the research, education, and clinical application of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). “Cases of SCMR” is a case series hosted on the SCMR website (https://www.scmr.org) that demonstrates the utility and importance of CMR in the clinical diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease. The COVID-19 Case Collection highlights the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the heart as demonstrated on CMR. Each case in series consists of the clinical presentation and the role of CMR in diagnosis and guiding clinical management. The cases are all instructive and helpful in the approach to patient management. We present a digital archive of the 2021 Cases of SCMR and the 2020 and 2021 COVID-19 Case Collection series of nine cases as a means of further enhancing the education of those interested in CMR and as a means of more readily identifying these cases using a PubMed or similar literature search engine.

Background and purposeThe purpose of this work is to summarize cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) research trends and highlights presented at the annual Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) scientific sessions over the past 20 years.MethodsScientific programs from all SCMR Annual Scientific Sessions from 1998 to 2017 were obtained. SCMR Headquarters also provided data for the number and the country of origin of attendees and the number of accepted abstracts according to type. Data analysis included text analysis (key word extraction) and visualization by ‘word clouds’ representing the most frequently used words in session titles for 5-year intervals. In addition, session titles were sorted into 17 major subject categories to further evaluate research and clinical CMR trends over time.ResultsAnalysis of SCMR annual scientific sessions locations, attendance, and number of accepted abstracts demonstrated substantial growth of CMR research and clinical applications. As an international field of study, significant growth of CMR was documented by a strong increase in SCMR scientific session attendance (> 500%, 270 to 1406 from 1998 to 2017, number of accepted abstracts (> 700%, 98 to 701 from 1998 to 2018) and number of international participants (42–415% increase for participants from Asia, Central and South America, Middle East and Africa in 2004–2017). ‘Word clouds’ based evaluation of research trends illustrated a shift from early focus on ‘MRI technique feasibility’ to new established techniques (e.g. late gadolinium enhancement) and their clinical applications and translation (key words ‘patient’, ‘disease’) and more recently novel techniques and quantitative CMR imaging (key words ‘mapping’, ‘T1’, ‘flow’, ‘function’). Nearly every topic category demonstrated an increase in the number of sessions over the 20-year period with ‘Clinical Practice’ leading all categories. Our analysis identified three growth areas ‘Congenital’, ‘Clinical Practice’, and ‘Structure/function/flow’.ConclusionThe analysis of the SCMR historical archives demonstrates a healthy and internationally active field of study which continues to undergo substantial growth and expansion into new and emerging CMR topics and clinical application areas.

Rapid innovations in cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) now permit the routine acquisition of quantitative measures of myocardial and blood T1 which are key tissue characteristics. These capabilities introduce a new frontier in cardiology, enabling the practitioner/investigator to quantify biologically important myocardial properties that otherwise can be difficult to ascertain clinically. CMR may be able to track biologically important changes in the myocardium by: a) native T1 that reflects myocardial disease involving the myocyte and interstitium without use of gadolinium based contrast agents (GBCA), or b) the extracellular volume fraction (ECV)–a direct GBCA-based measurement of the size of the extracellular space, reflecting interstitial disease. The latter technique attempts to dichotomize the myocardium into its cellular and interstitial components with estimates expressed as volume fractions. This document provides recommendations for clinical and research T1 and ECV measurement, based on published evidence when available and expert consensus when not. We address site preparation, scan type, scan planning and acquisition, quality control, visualisation and analysis, technical development. We also address controversies in the field. While ECV and native T1 mapping appear destined to affect clinical decision making, they lack multi-centre application and face significant challenges, which demand a community-wide approach among stakeholders. At present, ECV and native T1 mapping appear sufficiently robust for many diseases; yet more research is required before a large-scale application for clinical decision-making can be recommended.

This document is a position statement from the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) on recommendations for clinical utilization of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in women with cardiovascular disease. The document was prepared by the SCMR Consensus Group on CMR Imaging for Female Patients with Cardiovascular Disease and endorsed by the SCMR Publications Committee and SCMR Executive Committee. The goals of this document are to (1) guide the informed selection of cardiovascular imaging methods, (2) inform clinical decision-making, (3) educate stakeholders on the advantages of CMR in specific clinical scenarios, and (4) empower patients with clinical evidence to participate in their clinical care. The statements of clinical utility presented in the current document pertain to the following clinical scenarios: acute coronary syndrome, stable ischemic heart disease, peripartum cardiomyopathy, cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction, aortic syndrome and congenital heart disease in pregnancy, bicuspid aortic valve and aortopathies, systemic rheumatic diseases and collagen vascular disorders, and cardiomyopathy-causing mutations. The authors cite published evidence when available and provide expert consensus otherwise. Most of the evidence available pertains to translational studies involving subjects of both sexes. However, the authors have prioritized review of data obtained from female patients, and direct comparison of CMR between women and men. This position statement does not consider CMR accessibility or availability of local expertise, but instead highlights the optimal utilization of CMR in women with known or suspected cardiovascular disease. Finally, the ultimate goal of this position statement is to improve the health of female patients with cardiovascular disease by providing specific recommendations on the use of CMR.

BackgroundWith multifaceted imaging capabilities, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is playing a progressively increasing role in the management of various cardiac conditions. A global registry that harmonizes data from international centers, with participation policies that aim to be open and inclusive of all CMR programs, can support future evidence-based growth in CMR.MethodsThe Global CMR Registry (GCMR) was established in 2013 under the auspices of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR). The GCMR team has developed a web-based data infrastructure, data use policy and participation agreement, data-harmonizing methods, and site-training tools based on results from an international survey of CMR programs.ResultsAt present, 17 CMR programs have established a legal agreement to participate in GCMR, amongst them 10 have contributed CMR data, totaling 62,456 studies. There is currently a predominance of CMR centers with more than 10 years of experience (65%), and the majority are located in the United States (63%). The most common clinical indications for CMR have included assessment of cardiomyopathy (21%), myocardial viability (16%), stress CMR perfusion for chest pain syndromes (16%), and evaluation of etiology of arrhythmias or planning of electrophysiological studies (15%) with assessment of cardiomyopathy representing the most rapidly growing indication in the past decade. Most CMR studies involved the use of gadolinium-based contrast media (95%).ConclusionsWe present the goals, mission and vision, infrastructure, preliminary results, and challenges of the GCMR.Trial registrationIdentification number on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02806193. Registered 17 June 2016.

2010 ACCF/AHA Guideline for Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk in Asymptomatic Adults: Executive Summary

BackgroundThere are few data on practice patterns and trends for cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in pediatric and congenital heart disease. The Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) sought to address this deficiency by performing an international survey of CMR centers.MethodsSurveys consisting of 31 (2014) and 33 (2018) items were designed to collect data on the use of CMR for the evaluation of pediatric and congenital heart disease patients. They were sent to all SCMR members in 2014 and 2018. One response per center was collected.ResultsThere were 93 centers that responded in 2014 and 83 in 2018. The results that follow show data from 2014 and 2018 separated by a dash. The median annual number of pediatric/congenital CMR cases per center was 183–209. The median number of scanners for CMR was 2–2 (range, 1–8) with 58–63% using only 1.5T scanners and 4–4% using only 3T scanners. The mean number of attending/staff reading CMRs was 3.7–2.6; among them, 52–61% were pediatric or adult cardiologists and 47–38% were pediatric or adult radiologists. The median annual case volume per attending was 54–86. The median number of technologists per center doing CMRs was 4–5. The median scanner time allocated for a non–sedated examination was 75–75 min (range, 45–120). Among the 21 centers responding to both surveys, the mean annual case volume increased from 320 in 2014 to 445 in 2018; 17 (81%) of the centers had an increase in annual case volume. For this subgroup, the median attending/staff per center was 4 in both 2014 and 2018. The median scanner time allotted per study was unchanged at 90 min. The mean time for an attending/staff physician to perform a typical CMR examination including reporting was 143–141 min.ConclusionThese survey data provide a novel comprehensive view of CMR practice in pediatric and congenital heart disease. This information is useful for internal benchmarking, resource allocation, addressing practice variation, quality improvement initiatives, and identifying unmet needs.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing global pandemic that has affected nearly 600 million people to date across the world. While COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory illness, cardiac injury is also known to occur. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is uniquely capable of characterizing myocardial tissue properties in-vivo, enabling insights into the pattern and degree of cardiac injury. The reported prevalence of myocardial involvement identified by CMR in the context of COVID-19 infection among previously hospitalized patients ranges from 26 to 60%. Variations in the reported prevalence of myocardial involvement may result from differing patient populations (e.g. differences in severity of illness) and the varying intervals between acute infection and CMR evaluation. Standardized methodologies in image acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of CMR abnormalities across would likely improve concordance between studies. This consensus document by the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) provides recommendations on CMR imaging and reporting metrics towards the goal of improved standardization and uniform data acquisition and analytic approaches when performing CMR in patients with COVID-19 infection.

Diffuse myocardial fibrosis in adolescents operated with arterial switch for transposition of the great arteries - A CMR study

Highlights of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance 2025 conference: Leading the way to accessible, efficient, and sustainable cardiovascular magnetic resonance

Artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) are increasingly integrated into radiology, offering new possibilities for advanced imaging techniques, including cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). This proof-of-concept study assessed four high-performing LLMs (Gemini 2.5 Pro, ChatGPT 4.1, DeepSeek V3, and Claude Opus 4) on their ability to generate CMR protocols for 140 hypothetical cardiac cases. AI-generated protocols were compared against a reference standard established by a consensus between two experienced cardiovascular radiologists, following the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) recommendations. Descriptive statistics were used to quantify the concordance of LLM-generated sequences with the SCMR guidelines. Statistical agreement was measured using Cohen and Fleiss κ statistics. Gemini 2.5 Pro achieved the highest concordance, aligning with the SCMR guidelines in 71.5% of all evaluated scenarios. Overall, LLMs showed moderate agreement with the SCMR protocols, with Gemini 2.5 Pro again performing best (Cohen κ = 0.55). Agreement was substantial for mandatory CMR sequences (Fleiss κ ∈ [0.69, 0.74]) and predominantly fair for optional sequences. The tested LLMs demonstrate a potential to generate efficient and pathology-adapted CMR protocols. Under expert supervision, this capability could streamline the imaging workflow and help extend CMR to primary healthcare centers through protocol automation.Relevance statementThe potential of Gemini 2.5 Pro, ChatGPT 4.1, DeepSeek V3, and Claude Opus 4 to suggest pathology-adapted CMR protocols could improve imaging throughput and help to expand access to advanced cardiac diagnostics in primary healthcare centers.Key PointsThe tested large language models show potential for generating CMR protocols.Substantial agreement on mandatory CMR sequences promises more efficient examinations.Automation of CMR protocols could help to improve access to this advanced technique outside major medical institutions.Graphical