Role of Imaging Techniques for Diagnosis, Prognosis and Management of Heart Failure Patients: Cardiac Magnetic Resonance.

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has evolved into a major tool for the diagnosis and assessment of prognosis of patients suffering from heart failure. Anatomical and structural imaging, functional assessment, T1 and T2 mapping tissue characterization, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) have provided clinicians with tools to distinguish between non-ischemic and ischemic cardiomyopathies and to identify the etiology of non-ischemic cardiomyopathies. LGE is a useful tool to predict the likelihood of functional recovery after revascularization in patients with CAD and to guide the left ventricular (LV) lead placement in those who qualify for cardiac resynchronization (CRT) therapy. In addition, the presence of LGE and its extent in myocardial tissue relate to overall cardiovascular outcomes. Emerging roles for cardiac imaging in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are being studied, and CMR continues to be among the most promising noninvasive imaging alternatives in the diagnosis of this disease.