Prognostic value of dark right ventricular blood pool sign on myocardial T2 mapping in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy

Motivation: The evaluation of surrogate markers of cardiopulmonary status may provide risk stratification and prognostication in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Goal(s): To investigate the prognostic value of the dark right ventricular blood pool (RVBP) sign on T2 mapping by CMR. Approach: T2 mapping was used to measure T2 values of septum, RV and LV blood pool images in DCM patients and healthy controls.All patients were followed to record major adverse cardiac events (MACEs). Results: The sign of dark-RVBP on T2 mapping was found in 31.3% (42/134) of DCM patients. The ratio of T2RV/T2LV seemed to be an independent predictor for MACEs in DCM patients. Impact: The sign of dark-RVBP on T2 mapping by CMR was associated with hard clinical events with prognostic information independent of and incremental to myocardial strain parameters.