Progression of diffuse myocardial fibrosis assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance T₁ mapping

To evaluate long-term changes in diffuse myocardial fibrosis using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and T1 mapping. Patients with chronic stable cardiomyopathy and stable clinical status (n = 52) underwent repeat CMR at a 6 month or greater follow up interval and had LGE and left ventricular (LV) T1 mapping CMR. Diffuse myocardial fibrosis (excluding areas of focal myocardial scar) was assessed by post gadolinium myocardial T1 times. Mean baseline age of 52 patients (66 % male) was 35 ± 19 years with a mean interval between CMR examinations of 2.0 ± 0.8 years. CMR parameters, including LV mass and ejection fraction, showed no change at follow-up CMR (p > 0.05). LVT1 times (excluding focal scar) decreased over the study interval (from 468 ± 106 to 434 ± 82 ms, p = 0.049). 38 Patients had no visual LGE-, while 14 were LGE+. For LGE- patients, greater change in LV mass and end systolic volume index were associated with change in T1 time (β = -2.03 ms/g/m(2), p = 0.035 and β = 2.1 ms/mL/m(2), p = 0.029, respectively). For LGE+ patients, scar size was stable between CMR1 and CMR2 (10.7 ± 13.8 and 11.5 ± 13.9 g, respectively, p = 0.32). These results suggest that diffuse myocardial fibrosis, as assessed by T1 mapping, progresses over time in patients with chronic stable cardiomyopathy.