Learning objectives
To illustrate the MR imaging findings of pediatric cardiomyopathies with the most relevant clinical implications.
Background
Cardiomyopathies are heterogeneous diseases caused by a functional abnormality of the cardiac muscle and,
although rare,
they remain the leading cause of heart transplants in children over one year of age.
Most classify cardiomyopathy as either primary or secondary.
They are considered as primary when the disorder is solely or predominantly confined to the heart muscle and has a genetic,
non-genetic,
or acquired etiology.
Secondary cardiomyopathy is diagnosed when the disorder involves myocardial damage because of a systemic or multiorgan disease.
In pediatric population,
risk...
Findings and procedure details
Fig.
1
IMAGING PROTOCOLS
All patients were examined on a 1.5T whole body MR system using a 5 -element surface array coil.
Image acquisition was perfomed ECG triggered and in breath hold.
The examination protocol included morphologic,
fucntional,
perfusion and tissue characterization imaging along cardiac axes.
Morphology and function was assessed using cine steady state free precession (SSFP) sequences.
Fast spin-echo T2-weighted sequences or short tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequences were used to detect edema and inflammation.
Iron in the myocardium was quantified by measurin...
Conclusion
Multiparametric MR imaging can provide prognostic information through both evaluation of cardiac structural features and myocardial composition in pediatric cardiomyopathies.
References
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