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Updated: Jun 18, 2026
In Vivo Quantitative Assessment of Myocardial Structure, Function, Perfusion and Viability Using Cardiac Micro-computed Tomography
Published on: February 16, 2016
Late enhancement and myocardial perfusion in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (comparison between groups)
Clarissa Almeida Sarmento Barbosa1, Cláudio Campi de Castro, Luiz Francisco Rodrigues de Avila
1Instituto do Coração, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP. clarasarmentobarbosa@hotmail.com
Insights
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) effectively assesses hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Obstructive HCM patients showed higher ejection fractions and more perfusion alterations than non-obstructive groups, correlating with septal thickening.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a significant cardiovascular condition.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a key diagnostic tool for HCM evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To utilize MRI to assess systolic function, myocardial perfusion, and viability in HCM patients.
- To compare these parameters between HCM patients with and without left ventricular outflow tract obstruction.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-one HCM patients underwent comprehensive MRI scans.
- Assessment included myocardial function, viability, and perfusion at rest and during stress.
- Comparison between obstructive and non-obstructive groups was performed.
Main Results:
- Septal segments exhibited the most severe hypertrophy.
- Obstructive group had higher ejection fractions and lower ventricular volumes than the non-obstructive group.
- Increased perfusion alterations and late enhancement were observed in obstructive HCM, correlating with hypertrophy.
Conclusions:
- Septal thickening is a hallmark of HCM.
- Hypertrophic regions in HCM are linked to greater late enhancement and altered myocardial perfusion.
- These MRI findings are more pronounced in patients with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction.
Background:
The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an effective method to study hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).
Objective:
To evaluate, using MRI, the parameters of systolic function, perfusion and myocardial viability in patients with HCM, comparing the groups with and without obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract.
Methods:
Twenty-one patients with a diagnosis of HCM underwent the assessment of myocardial function, viability and perfusion under stress and at rest through MRI.
Results:
The ventricular segments most severely impaired by hypertrophy were those of the septal region. The obstructive group presented segmental myocardial thickening distribution similar to the non-obstructive group, but with higher means than the first group. The mean ejection fraction of the patients in the obstructive group was higher than in the non-obstructive group, whereas the means of the end systolic and diastolic volumes were lower in the obstructive group. There was a positive correlation between the ventricular segmental thickening and the late enhancement segmental mass. The stress induction resulted in an increase in the number of segments with perfusion alterations and this alteration was more evident in the obstructive group.
Conclusion:
The thickest ventricular segments are the septal ones. The hypertrophic regions are associated to a greater extension of late enhancement. There was a positive correlation between the areas of ventricular hypertrophy and altered myocardial perfusion and these findings were more evident in the obstructive group.
