High Spatial Resolution Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance at 7.0 Tesla in Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy -...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging
• Biophysics

Background:

• Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) is crucial for diagnosing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) by analyzing myocardial tissue and morphology.
• Current clinical CMR protocols have limitations in spatial resolution.
• Higher field strength CMR (7.0T) offers improved spatial resolution, a capability yet to be explored in HCM patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of 7.0T CMR in HCM patients.
• To demonstrate the potential of 7.0T CMR for visualizing subtle morphological abnormalities in HCM.

Main Methods:

• 13 HCM patients and 13 healthy controls underwent 7.0T and 3.0T CMR.
• 2D CINE imaging was performed at both field strengths for cardiac function and morphology assessment.
• Late Gadolinium Enhancement (LGE) was conducted at 3.0T to identify myocardial fibrosis.

Main Results:

• 7.0T CMR scans were successfully completed and are evaluable in all participants.
• Left ventricular parameters derived from 7.0T CMR correlated well with 3.0T data.
• 7.0T CMR identified myocardial crypts in 54% of HCM patients, often in LGE-positive regions, which were not visible at 3.0T.

Conclusions:

• 7.0T CMR is a feasible imaging modality for patients diagnosed with HCM.
• The high spatial resolution of 7.0T CMR enables the detection of fine morphological features, such as myocardial crypts, in HCM patients with hypertrophy and LGE.