Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging for myocarditis and nonischemic cardiomyopathies.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is the gold standard for quantification of ventricular size, mass and function. Moreover, CMR can differentiate transient and permanent tissue damage. Therefore CMR is clinically useful to differentiate acute myocarditis from infarction. Various CMR markers for acute myocardial inflammation are reviewed. Moreover CMR can differentiate tissue changes in various nonischemic cardiomyopathies. This has a major clinical impact for diagnosis and risk stratification in these patients. Serial monitoring is feasible due to high reproducibility and the lack of radiation. The strengths and pitfalls in CMR imaging of nonischemic cardiomyopathies are reviewed in detail including an overview of the current literature.