Cardiac Motion-Resolved 3D Whole-Heart Myocardial T2* Mapping Reveals Diminished Cyclic Response in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy at 1.5T

Motivation: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a prevalent cardiac disorder associated with an increased risk of heart failure and sudden cardiac death. Goal(s): Detecting myocardial tissue alterations in hypertrophic hearts is important for early intervention and management. Approach: In this study, we employed a 3D, motion-resolved, free-breathing, non-ECG-gated mGRE sequence at 1.5T to examine T2* sensitized changes across the cardiac cycle in normal subjects and in HCM patients. Results: Our findings demonstrate T2* fluctuation across the cardiac cycle reduced significantly in HCM patients compared to healthy controls, suggesting the potential sensitivity of cyclic myocardial T2* in identifying myocardial abnormality. Impact: This study applied a free-breathing, cardiac-phase-resolved whole-heart T2* mapping technique for assessing T2*variations across the cardiac cycle. Although additional validation is needed, our early findings demonstrate the approach's potential to assess changes in myocardial oxygenation impairments associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.