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Cardiovascular magnetic resonance for suspected cardiac amyloidosis: where are we now?

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Abstract

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is an underdiagnosed form of restrictive cardiomyopathy leading to a rapid progression into heart failure. Evaluation of CA requires a multimodality approach making use of echocardiography, cardiac magnetic imaging (CMR), and nuclear imaging. With superior tissue characterization, high-resolution imaging, and precise cardiac assessment, CMR has emerged as a versatile tool in the workup of cardiac amyloidosis with a wide array of parameters both visual and quantitative. This includes late gadolinium enhancement patterns, T1/T2 mapping, and extracellular volume (ECV) measurement providing robust diagnostic accuracies, patient stratification, and prognostication. Recent advancements have introduced new measures able to identify early disease, track disease progression, and response to therapy positioning CMR as an instrumental imaging modality in the era of rising interest in CA screening and emerging effective therapies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Houston Methodist Debakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Jean Michel Saad, Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed, Yushui Han, Maan Malahfji & Mouaz H. Al-Mallah

  2. King Abdulaziz Cardiac Center, Ministry of National Guard, Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Ahmed Aljizeeri

  3. King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Ahmed Aljizeeri

  4. King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Ahmed Aljizeeri

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  1. Jean Michel Saad
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Correspondence to Mouaz H. Al-Mallah.

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Saad, J.M., Ahmed, A.I., Han, Y. et al. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance for suspected cardiac amyloidosis: where are we now?. Heart Fail Rev 27, 1543–1548 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10741-022-10226-w

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