Late gadolinium enhancement imaging in assessment of myocardial viability: techniques and clinical applications.

Assessment of myocardial viability is of ever-evolving interest in cardiovascular imaging, with major societies having incorporated viability imaging as class I or class IIa indications in their guidelines to better guide patient management. As with late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (MR), assessment of residual myocardial viability or the extent of myocardial infarction is straightforward and this technique may easily be combined with other cardiac MR modules. In clinical routine functional assessment and myocardial perfusion imaging if often used in conjunction allowing for a comprehensive assessment of ischemic heart disease.