Overview
Magnetic properties of myocardial tissue change in the presence of disease. This is detectable in the change of rate of magnetic relaxation, and measurable by T1 and T2 mapping using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). These markers provide novel quantifiable imaging measures for myocardial tissue characterisation. Despite similar principles the measurements differ considerably between different sequences, vendors and field strengths, yielding a necessity to establish robust sequence-specific normal ranges, diagnostic accuracy and prognostic relationships in apparently healthy subjects with no known heart disease. A further unknown relates to separation between healthy myocardium and the subclinical disease in several groups of patients with suspected cardiac involvement. Examples include patients with systemic inflammatory conditions, as well as patients with a recent COVID-19 infection.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Able to provide informed consent
- 18 years of age and over
- Absence of a valid clinical indication for CMR, including active cardiac symptoms and/or known or clinically relevant cardiac disease
Exclusion Criteria:
- accepted contraindications for a contrast-enhanced CMR study (in line with MRI safety and SmPC for contrast agent)