RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Advanced tissue characterization in non-ischemic cardiomyopathies using contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging JF Saudi Medical Journal JO Saudi Med J FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City SP 115 OP 122 VO 31 IS 2 A1 Shehab, Abdullah M. A1 Strohm, Oliver YR 2010 UL http://smj.org.sa/content/31/2/115.abstract AB Cardio-vascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) can be used to obtain integrated information on both cardiac function and on advanced tissue characteristics. Using contrast-enhanced techniques, highly diagnostic information on tissue viability, inflammatory changes, and on storage diseases can be obtained within a 45-minute examination. The combination of functional information (using steady-state free precession sequences cine techniques), assessment of myocardial edema (using T2-based techniques), of reversible injury (for example in inflammatory diseases; using T1-based techniques), and irreversible injury (for example in infarction and regional fibrosis, using late gadolinium enhancement techniques) allows disease-specific and prognostic information to be obtained in patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. Contrast-enhanced CMR allows the accurate diagnosis of non-ischemic cardiomyopathies, identification of primary and secondary cardiomyopathies, and can be used to guide therapy, thus avoiding the need for invasive measures such as endomyocardial biopsy in many cases.