Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathies are defined as “myocardial disorders in which the heart muscle is structurally and functionally abnormal, in the absence of attributable coronary artery disease, hypertension, heart valve or congenital heart disease”. This is an aetiologically and clinically diverse group of conditions, sharing important characteristics such as risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) and possible heritable nature. Accurate phenotyping is key to the diagnosis and management for both probands and their relatives. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is central in this process, offering comprehensive multi-parametric assessment, enabling not only accurate phenotyping, but also identifying prognostic risk markers. We review the key aspects of CMR technique and the diagnostic and risk stratification applications of CMR in cardiomyopathy.