Current diagnostic strategies for dilated cardiomyopathy: a comparison of imaging techniques.

Current diagnostic strategies for dilated cardiomyopathy: a comparison of imaging techniques. Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2018 Nov 20;: Authors: Porcari A, De Angelis G, Romani S, Paldino A, Artico J, Cannatà A, Gentile P, Pinamonti B, Merlo M, Sinagra G Abstract INTRODUCTION: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is generally thought as a final common pathway of several conditions that lead to the same clinical overt phenotype. Multiple imaging modalities play a fundamental role in recognizing the underlying pathological substrate leading to DCM. Areas covered: Echocardiography represents the first reliable and easily accessible diagnostic tool, allowing the identification of associated cardiac abnormalities, such as valve disease and highlighting features associated with an adverse prognosis. Recent advances in technology such as strain analysis and 3D-echocardiography have improved the diagnostic and prognostic capabilities of this technique. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is considered the gold standard for an accurate and reproducible assessment of ventricular volumes and ejection fraction. In addition, CMR allows us to perform tissue characterization, that, through new sophisticated sequences, cold be obtained even without gadolinium. Nuclear images could be useful to identify specific causes of left ventricular dysfunction, such as cardiac sarcoidosis and amyloidosis. Finally, endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is generally performed if ac...
Source: Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy - Category: Cardiology Tags: Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther Source Type: research