Assessment of myocardial injuries in non-ischemic cardiomyopathy using magnetic resonance T1-rho mapping

Motivation: Contrast-free CMR techniques hold significant clinical potential. And T1ρ mapping can quantify myocardial characteristics without the use of contrast agents. Goal(s): This study aims to Assess myocardial injury detection in NICM using T1ρ mapping. Approach: By selecting regions of interest (ROI), the mean T1ρ of remote and injured areas were measured, with the injured area defined as the LGE-positive region. Results: This study indicates that T1ρ mapping effectively quantifies myocardial injury in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, and myocarditis. However, the lack of significant T1ρ elevation in cardiac amyloidosis patients indicate a potential variability in sensitivity of T1ρ for different types of myocardial injury. Impact: T1ρ mapping presents a promising, non-contrast approach for assessing chronic myocardial injury in NICM. And T1ρ mapping presents its potential as an early indicator of chronic myocardial damage, offering insights into arrhythmia or heart failure risk.