Impact of cardiac magnetic resonance on the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - a 10-year experience with over 1000 patients

ConclusionsIn a small but important group of patients with ultrasound-based HCM, cardiac MRI can diagnose previously unknown conditions and/or refute suspected cardiomyopathy. The diagnostic yield of MRI when compared to echocardiography in patients suspected of having HCM is 44.7%.Key Points• Out of 550 patients previously diagnosed with echocardiography but without magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as having hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), we diagnosed a different disease in 12 (2.2%) patients using MRI.• Among patients with suspected HCM based on echocardiography, MRI led to clear HCM diagnosis in 44.7% of patients.• In patients with a history of uncontrolled hypertension suspected, based on an echocardiogram, of having HCM, MRI aided in identifying cardiomyopathy in 47.9% of patients. This subgroup contained the largest proportion of patients with an ambiguous diagnosis.
Source: European Radiology - Category: Radiology Source Type: research