Use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance for diagnosis and management in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an inherited cardiac disorder characterized by unexplained myocardial hypertrophy. The condition is associated with sudden cardiac death and is therefore often diagnosed postmortem, especially in the young and in competitive athletes. For this reason, intense research focuses on developing strategies to minimize this tragic consequence. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is a novel imaging modality that provides high-resolution images in an infinite number of planes with additional sequences that allows for tissue characterization and quantification of flow. The most exciting development is the application of late gadolinium-enhanced (LGE) imaging, which allows for in vivo detection of myocardial fibrosis. This review summarizes the current applications of CMR in HCM and also speculates on future applications, particularly the potential for risk stratification using LGE-CMR.