Published in:
Open Access
01-09-2014 | Heart Failure and Targeted Imaging (T Schindler and E Schelbert, Section Editors)
T1 Mapping for Characterization of Intracellular and Extracellular Myocardial Diseases in Heart Failure
Authors:
Viviana Maestrini, Thomas A. Treibel, Steven K. White, Marianna Fontana, James C. Moon
Published in:
Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports
|
Issue 9/2014
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Abstract
Heart failure (HF) is a major and growing cause of morbidity and mortality. Despite initial successes, there have been few recent therapeutic advances. A better understanding of HF pathophysiology is needed with renewed focus on the myocardium itself. A new imaging technique is now available that holds promise. T1 mapping is a cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) technique for non-invasive myocardial tissue characterization. T1 alters with disease. Pre-contrast (native) T1 changes with a number of processes such as fibrosis, edema and infiltrations. If a post contrast scan is also done, the extracellular volume fraction (ECV) can be measured, a direct measure of the interstitium and its reciprocal, the cell volume. This dichotomy is fundamental — and now measurable promising more targeted therapy and new insights into disease biology.