What's New in Cardiac MRI? — May 16, 2026
AI-summarised digest of 53 PubMed articles on Cardiac MRI published in the last 7 days.
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What’s New in Cardiac MRI?
May 16, 2026 · 53 articles · 15 research themes · covering May 09, 2026 – May 16, 2026
Overview
Across this week’s set of papers, cardiac MRI (CMR) emerges as a central tool for both diagnosis and risk stratification—especially for inflammatory and fibrotic myocardial processes. Multiple studies focus on myocarditis-spectrum conditions (including immune checkpoint inhibitor–related myocarditis and broader inflammatory cardiomyopathy), showing that imaging abnormalities such as LGE are common and can carry prognostic signal. Complementing this, several CMR-focused investigations target fibrosis and remodeling as modifiable or measurable endpoints (e.g., epicardial adipose tissue and LGE positivity, anti-fibrotic strategies around TAVI, and CMR-derived coupling/prognostic indices in reduced-EF heart failure). Together, these works reinforce a shift toward longitudinal, imaging-guided management rather than one-time diagnosis.
A second dominant theme is the move toward scalable, interpretable, and auditable quantitative imaging—powered by deep learning and improved computational pipelines. Foundation-model and radiomics approaches for cine CMR (including segmentation/landmark extraction, contrast-free MI detection, and glass-box/agentic LLM workflows) aim to reduce reliance on task-specific models, improve robustness across datasets, and support safer clinical translation via interpretability and auditability. Methodological studies further strengthen the measurement backbone (e.g., ventricular trabeculation quantification reliability, diffusion tensor imaging biases from fixation, and velocity-based diastolic assessment using 4D flow MRI).
Finally, the digest highlights how clinical risk is increasingly framed through context—developmental programming (preterm birth), genetic substrate and surveillance (genotype-positive/phenotype-negative cardiomyopathy relatives; HCM risk prediction; atrial cardiomyopathy concepts), and treatment- or exposure-related cardiac injury (chemotherapy/targeted therapy cardiotoxicity, arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy, and rare mimics such as hydatid disease, carcinoid venous obstruction, and iron overload cardiomyopathy). Even when the studies are case-based, they collectively emphasize multimodality evaluation and mechanism-aware thinking to avoid diagnostic traps and enable earlier, more precise intervention.
Cancer genomics and driver context
Cancer type-specific variation in patterns of driver alterations across 50,000 tumors.
This study analyzed somatic cancer driver alterations across 54,331 tumors from 48,179 patients spanning 448 histological cancer subtypes to define cancer type-specific driver patterns and context effects. It found that one-third of drivers occurred in non-canonical contexts and showed distinct properties, including increased subclonality, later emergence, and divergent biological behavior, alongside identification of 164 newly defined driver hotspots. These results improve understanding of how tissue context shapes oncogenic mechanisms and can refine biomarker and therapeutic targeting strategies by cancer type.
Bandlamudi C, Muldoon D, de Bruijn I et al. · Cancer cell · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI biomarkers of fibrosis and remodeling
Role of dyssynchrony in short-term left ventricular systolic function after iron repletion in patients with heart failure.
This subanalysis of the Myocardial-IRON trial studied whether intravenous ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) improves short-term left ventricular systolic function via changes in mechanical dyssynchrony measured by the longitudinal systolic dyssynchrony index (L-SDI) derived from cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT) in heart failure patients with LVEF <50% and iron deficiency. The key finding was the short-term effect of FCM on L-SDI and its relationship to systolic function response (specific quantitative results truncated). Scientifically and clinically, it links iron repletion to ventricular synchrony metrics that may help explain or predict benefit from CRT-related pathways.
Del Canto I, Miñana G, Cardells I et al. · Communications medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Effect of anti-fibrotic therapy on regression of myocardial fibrosis after TAVI: Design and rationale of the Reduce-MFA DZHK25 trial.
Anti-fibrotic therapy effects on regression of myocardial fibrosis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) were studied in the Reduce-MFA DZHK25 trial design in aortic stenosis patients with high baseline fibrotic burden. The trial’s key objective is to test whether anti-fibrotic treatment reduces aortic-stenosis–induced myocardial fibrosis after TAVI, with secondary endpoints including reverse left ventricular remodeling, symptom improvement, and mortality/hospitalization reduction. This trial rationale is clinically important because it targets myocardial fibrosis as a modifiable driver of post-TAVI outcomes in high-risk patients.
Puls M, Zeisberg EM, Placzek M et al. · ESC heart failure · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Management of Iron Overload in Infants and Toddlers With Diamond-Blackfan Anemia Syndrome: A French-Italian Study.
This retrospective multicenter study investigated management of iron overload in infants and toddlers with Diamond-Blackfan anemia syndrome (DBAS) using data from French and Italian national registries. It reports that among 167 transfused DBAS patients, 64 (38%) started chelation before age 3 (median 18 months), with chelation typically indicated by serum ferritin ≥500 ng/mL and >10 transfusions, and that deferasirox was the most used chelator. The clinical significance is evidence on early chelation practice in very young DBAS patients, addressing a previously data-sparse age group where iron overload can become severe.
Torchio F, Lecalvez B, Garelli E et al. · American journal of hematology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
A study on the correlation between cardiac magnetic resonance characteristics and myocardial fibrosis in overweight and obese individuals.
This study used cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in 192 overweight/obese adults (BMI-based groups: normal weight n=77, overweight n=37, obesity n=78) to compare cardiac structure/function, myocardial strain, epicardial adipose tissue volume (EATV), and their association with myocardial fibrosis measured by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) positivity. It reported differences in CMR-derived parameters across weight categories and evaluated how these measures relate to LGE positivity as an indicator of fibrosis. Clinically, the findings support CMR metrics (including strain and EATV) as potential noninvasive markers for subclinical myocardial fibrosis risk in people with excess body weight.
Liu L, Yao Y, Yu H et al. · BMC medical imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac amyloidosis and transthyretin therapies
Rationale and Design of CARDIO-TTRansform, a Phase 3 Trial of Eplontersen in Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy.
This article describes the rationale and design of CARDIO-TTRansform, a Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial testing eplontersen in patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy. The trial targets hepatocyte transthyretin (TTR) messenger RNA using an N-acetylgalactosamine ligand-conjugated antisense oligonucleotide to reduce circulating TTR, and it enrolls patients with evidence of cardiac amyloid deposition (e.g., histology or grade 2–3 cardiac uptake on scintigraphy) without plasma cell involvement. Scientifically and clinically, the study is designed to establish whether TTR lowering with eplontersen improves outcomes and safety in this progressive, fatal cardiomyopathy.
Masri A, Cappelli F, Davis MK et al. · Circulation. Heart failure · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Genetic cardiomyopathy surveillance and risk detection
Unmasking subclinical cardiomyopathy: The role of cardiopulmonary exercise testing when screening genotype-positive phenotype negative relatives.
This single-centre case series studied cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) as an added screening tool in gene-positive, phenotype-negative (G+P−) relatives from families with likely/definite pathogenic cardiomyopathy variants identified via cascade testing. CPET helped unmask subclinical cardiomyopathy that was not detected by conventional screening (ECG, echocardiography, Holter monitoring, and cardiac MRI) in younger relatives. The findings support incorporating CPET into genotype-positive cardiomyopathy surveillance to improve early detection and risk stratification before overt structural or functional disease appears.
Abela M, Scicluna J, Debattista J et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) myocarditis and cardio-oncology
Diagnostic and prognostic parameters for immune checkpoint inhibitor-related myocarditis: A meta-analysis.
This meta-analysis evaluated diagnostic and prognostic parameters for immune checkpoint inhibitor-related myocarditis (ICI-M) across 29 trials including 3568 patients. The key finding is that abnormal cardiac MRI was common (63.4%), with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) present in 65.3% and associated with higher odds of ICI-M (OR 5.32, 95% CI 1.61–17.50). Clinically, it supports cardiac MRI—particularly LGE—as a high-yield diagnostic tool and helps clarify which parameters may carry prognostic value in ICI-M.
Lerchner T, Buehning F, Vogel J et al. · European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Inflammatory cardiomyopathy: Position paper of the Italian Society of Cardiology Working Group on cardiomyopathies and pericardial diseases in collaboration with the Italian Society of Cardiology Working Group on cardiac magnetic resonance.
This position paper from Italian Society of Cardiology working groups in collaboration with the Italian Society of Cardiology Working Group on cardiac magnetic resonance summarizes inflammatory cardiomyopathy (iCMP) within the myocarditis spectrum. The key finding is that iCMP represents a chronic hypokinetic phenotype driven by heterogeneous causes (infectious, autoimmune, idiopathic) and may follow a two-hit model involving genetic susceptibility plus environmental triggers, with diagnosis requiring a multimodal approach. Clinically, it emphasizes the need for comprehensive evaluation to detect persistent myocardial inflammation and reduce progression to dilated cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and arrhythmias.
Imazio M, Jahnsen V, Merlo M et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Prospective Serial Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Myocarditis Correlates with Cardiovascular Outcomes.
This prospective study evaluated serial cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) changes in patients with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) myocarditis versus pre-ICI controls, with follow-up CMR at 8–12 weeks. Serial CMR parameters were associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes (ACE), linking imaging evolution during treatment to prognosis. Clinically, the work supports using repeat CMR to monitor ICI myocarditis and potentially refine risk stratification and management decisions.
Kwan JM, Khattab M, Tysarowski M et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Multimodality Imaging in Myocarditis: Integrating Etiology, Diagnosis, and Risk Stratification.
This review synthesized evidence on multimodality cardiac imaging for myocarditis, integrating etiology, diagnosis, and risk stratification across clinical pathways. It emphasized that cardiac magnetic resonance (including parametric mapping and updated Lake Louise criteria) improves diagnostic sensitivity and prognostic stratification, while echocardiographic strain and other modalities (e.g., PET) contribute to detection of subclinical dysfunction and risk. The significance is a practical framework for clinicians to combine imaging tests to overcome myocarditis diagnostic uncertainty and guide longitudinal management.
Debs D, Rushworth P, Liu J et al. · Current cardiology reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Deep learning and AI for cardiac MRI analysis
High-precision brain tumor segmentation with switchable normalization in faster R-CNN architecture.
This Scientific Reports study developed a Switchable Normalization-based Faster R-CNN (SNFRC) for high-precision brain tumor segmentation from multimodal MRI. The key finding is that using switchable normalization in the region proposal network (RPN) improves feature consistency across heterogeneous imaging distributions and, combined with a detection-based localization step and a composite loss including Dice loss, enhances segmentation accuracy for irregular small tumors (results truncated). This provides a practical deep-learning architecture to improve robustness of tumor segmentation across varying MRI protocols.
Kumar DR, Reddy PV, Mohammad H et al. · Scientific reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Development and validation of a versatile foundation model for cine cardiac magnetic resonance image analysis.
This study developed and validated CineMA, a multi-view convolutional transformer masked autoencoder foundation model for cine cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) image analysis, pre-trained on 15 million cine CMR images from 74,916 studies. CineMA was fine-tuned and evaluated across eight independent datasets for tasks including segmentation and landmark localisation, aiming to reduce the need for task-specific models trained from scratch. Scientifically, it advances scalable, reproducible deep-learning measurement extraction from cine CMR, which could accelerate and standardize quantitative cardiac imaging workflows.
Fu Y, Bai W, Yi W et al. · Communications medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Canadian radiology: 2026 update.
This narrative update reviewed selected Canadian radiology scholarship across subspecialties, including technical and clinical advances relevant to imaging practice. It highlighted ongoing contributions in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and broader cardiovascular imaging, alongside updates such as approaches to contrast media hypersensitivity. The significance is that it synthesizes current evidence and practice-shaping work to guide clinicians and researchers in Canada’s evolving radiology landscape.
Kamran R, Buckley B, Costa AF et al. · Diagnostic and interventional imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Glass-box agentic-style workflow for multiclass cine cardiac magnetic resonance imaging classification with a large language model.
This study developed and evaluated a glass-box, agentic-style workflow using a large language model (GPT-OSS-120B) for auditable multiclass classification of cine cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) images in the Automated Cardiac Diagnosis Challenge cohort (n=100; five classes). It uses nnU-Net segmentation at end-diastole and end-systole to extract 17 interpretable biomarkers and then quantifies classification accuracy, robustness across decoding temperatures, and fidelity/safety of generated narrative explanations. The scientific significance is a more transparent, auditable AI pipeline for multiclass cine CMR diagnosis that can support safer clinical translation.
Mese I, Kocak B · Diagnostic and interventional radiology (Ankara, Turkey) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI for coronary anatomy, microvascular disease, and ischemia
Integrating Anatomy and Ischemia in Chest Pain Evaluation.
This review article synthesized evidence on integrating coronary anatomy and ischemia for chest pain evaluation using noninvasive and invasive strategies. The key finding is that combining anatomic assessment (e.g., coronary CT angiography with or without CT-derived fractional flow reserve) with physiologic/functional assessment (e.g., stress echocardiography, PET myocardial blood flow/coronary flow reserve, or stress cardiac MRI) improves triage and characterization of coronary disease. Scientifically and clinically, it provides a framework for selecting tests that better match patient risk and guide downstream management.
Tiotsop M, Salabei JK · The American journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Smaller coronary artery size in adults born preterm.
This adult cohort study used 1.5T cardiac MRI with short-axis bSSFP cine and 3D bSSFP coronary magnetic resonance angiography to test whether adults born preterm have smaller coronary artery size. Adults born preterm showed reduced left main (LM), left anterior descending (LAD), and/or right coronary artery (RCA) area and diameter compared with term-born controls. The results suggest preterm birth may program coronary vascular development, providing a mechanistic link to higher later-life ischemic heart disease risk.
Barton GP, Sharma K, Hussain T et al. · Pediatric research · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Randomized Controlled Trial of Vericiguat in Patients with Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction causing Stable Chest Pain (V-COM): Study Protocol for a Randomised Control Trial.
Vericiguat for coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) causing stable chest pain was studied in the V-COM randomized controlled trial protocol in patients with INOCA/ischemia without obstructive coronary artery disease. The trial uses quantitative stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance to measure stress myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) as key quantitative endpoints, building on preclinical evidence that vericiguat (a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator) improves microvascular circulation. This protocol is significant because it tests a mechanism-based therapy for CMD using objective CMR perfusion metrics to guide clinical decision-making.
Lo CK, Ip NH, Sin TH et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Repositioning of exercise treadmill testing in contemporary chest pain management.
This narrative review studied the role of exercise treadmill testing (ETT) in contemporary chest pain management in the context of widespread coronary CT angiography (CTCA) and other stress imaging modalities. It concludes that although ETT has lower diagnostic accuracy for obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) than contemporary imaging, it still provides clinically useful exercise-derived prognostic and functional information and may remain appropriate in specific guideline-supported scenarios. The significance is clearer positioning of ETT within modern diagnostic pathways to optimize cost/resource use and patient selection.
Xue X, Bai Y, Li H et al. · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Preterm birth and developmental cardiovascular programming
Structural and Functional Abnormalities in the Preterm Heart: From Development to Adulthood.
This review in the Journal of the American Heart Association summarizes how preterm birth leads to structural and functional abnormalities in the heart that persist from development into adulthood. The key finding is that even when preterm infants have structurally normal hearts, exposures such as oxygen dysregulation, altered extracellular matrix, cardiomyocyte mitochondrial dysfunction, immature sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum, and procedural stress contribute to higher adult cardiovascular disease risk (mechanisms truncated). The clinical significance is that it supports heightened long-term surveillance and motivates research into targeted interventions for preterm-related cardiovascular vulnerability.
Zegelbone P, Young K, Hughes F et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Heart failure risk prediction and prognostic CMR metrics
Cardiac magnetic resonance-derived left atrioventricular coupling index predicts outcome in reduced ejection fraction.
This multicenter DERIVATE registry analysis studied whether a cardiac magnetic resonance-derived left atrioventricular coupling index (LACI)—calculated as the ratio of left atrial to left ventricular end-diastolic volumes—predicts outcomes in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (LVEF <50%). Higher or less favorable LACI was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality and heart-failure outcomes in multivariable Cox models. The clinical significance is that CMR-derived LACI may provide an additional prognostic biomarker to improve risk stratification in reduced-EF heart failure.
Guglielmo M, Fedele D, Bergamaschi L et al. · ESC heart failure · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Characterisation of Incident Heart Failure after Ischaemic Stroke/Transient Ischaemic Attack: A UK Biobank Study.
This prospective UK Biobank cohort study characterized incident heart failure (HF) risk after ischaemic stroke/transient ischaemic attack (TIA) and described associated cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) findings. Among 405,406 participants aged 40–69 years without prior HF, stroke/TIA history was used to stratify risk for hospital-admission-defined incident HF and to relate outcomes to CMR measures. The significance is improved quantification of post-stroke/TIA HF risk and identification of CMR correlates that could support earlier surveillance and prevention strategies.
Muthalaly RG, Nerlekar N, Tan S et al. · ESC heart failure · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac imaging in cardiotoxicity and treatment-related injury
Naïve CD4+ T-cells and disease status at CART infusion correlate with clinical outcomes in real-world large B-cell lymphoma patients receiving second-line CAR T therapy.
This retrospective real-world study analyzed 64 patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma receiving second-line CAR T therapy (axi-cabtagene ciloleucel or liso-cel) and assessed how disease status and baseline naïve CD4+ T-cell features at infusion relate to outcomes. Primary refractory disease and progressive disease at infusion were associated with inferior response rates, while naïve CD4+ T-cell characteristics at CART infusion correlated with clinical outcomes. Scientifically and clinically, the results support using immunophenotyping of naïve CD4+ T cells and disease status at infusion to better predict durability of benefit from axi-cel/liso-cel.
Schneider M, Paruzzo L, Stella F et al. · Nature communications · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Fluoropyrimidine Cardiotoxicity With Overlapping Vasospastic and Pericardial Features: A Diagnostic Challenge.
This JACC Case Reports report describes a 57-year-old man with HER2-positive gastric cancer who developed fluoropyrimidine cardiotoxicity during 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) infusion as part of FOLFOX-6M plus trastuzumab. The key finding is a diagnostic challenge with overlapping features of coronary vasospasm and pericardial involvement, including ECG changes and later concave ST-segment elevation despite initially negative biomarkers and normal echocardiography and coronary CT angiography. Clinically, it underscores the need for high suspicion and multimodal evaluation for fluoropyrimidine-induced cardiac syndromes during chemotherapy.
Viñas-Mendieta AE, Valencia-Hernandez HA, Ruiz-Mori E et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Myopericarditis After Combined Idarubicin and Quizartinib in FLT3-ITD-Positive AML.
This JACC Case Reports report describes a 64-year-old man with FLT3-ITD–positive acute myelogenous leukemia who developed myopericarditis after sequential idarubicin and quizartinib therapy. Cardiac MRI showed late gadolinium enhancement consistent with myopericarditis following treatment, with symptoms including fever, hypotension, and troponin I elevation and diffuse ST-segment elevation (rest truncated). The case highlights a potential cardiotoxic interaction/clinical risk when combining anthracyclines with FLT3 inhibition, informing monitoring strategies in AML patients.
Spahr ZR, Vasquez MA, Tangella A et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Unexplained Supraventricular Tachycardia and Myocardial Injury After Bitter Orange Supplement Use in a Young Woman.
This JACC Case Reports report describes a 38-year-old woman who developed unexplained supraventricular tachycardia and myocardial injury after using a bitter orange (Citrus aurantium) weight-loss supplement containing p-synephrine. The key finding was that ECG-documented supraventricular tachycardia responded to intravenous adenosine and high-sensitivity troponin I rose markedly, consistent with myocardial injury after supplement exposure (imaging/etiology details truncated). Clinically, it supports p-synephrine–associated cardiotoxicity as a cause of acute arrhythmia and myocardial injury in young patients.
Plaitis A, Grigoraki E, Karakosta M et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac imaging for rare cardiac diseases and mimics
Massive cardiac echinococcosis.
This article describes a rare case of massive cardiac echinococcosis presenting with atypical symptoms (e.g., chest pain or breathlessness) and reports multimodal imaging findings. The key finding is that chest radiograph, CT, and cardiac MRI together characterized the hydatid involvement of the heart. Clinically, the report highlights the diagnostic value of multimodal imaging when cardiac hydatid disease presents atypically.
Rai P, Aswani Y · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Prevalence and Recovery of Arrhythmia-Induced Cardiomyopathy in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Heart Failure Using a Wearable Defibrillator: A Real-World Cohort Study.
This real-world cohort study assessed the prevalence, recovery, and predictors of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy (AIC) in 780 patients treated with a wearable cardioverter-defibrillator (WCD) from 2017–2023. Among patients with newly diagnosed idiopathic LV systolic dysfunction (LVEF <35%) and concurrent persistent arrhythmia (atrial fibrillation/flutter or >20% ventricular ectopy), the study evaluated how early rhythm control with WCD-related management related to AIC recognition and outcomes. The findings are clinically significant because they inform real-world identification and prognosis of a potentially reversible cause of heart failure.
Yogarajah J, Dannebaum J, Halim A et al. · Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Giant Postischemic Left Ventricular Aneurysm Without Q Waves: Multimodality Imaging-Guided Surgery.
This JACC Case Reports article describes a 55-year-old woman with inferolateral myocardial infarction who developed a giant postischemic left ventricular aneurysm without pathological Q waves. Multimodality imaging guided surgery by showing progressive left ventricular remodeling and mural thrombus despite absent Q waves on serial ECGs (details truncated). The case emphasizes that nonanterior aneurysms can be missed by ECG criteria alone and that multimodality imaging is crucial for timely surgical management.
Gaido L, Attisani M, Scalini F et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Contemporary Overview of Aortic Regurgitation in Young Individuals: Insights From Real-Life Evidence.
This review in the Journal of the American Heart Association provides a contemporary overview of aortic regurgitation (AR) in young individuals aged 18–44 years using real-life evidence. The key finding is that AR in young adults is frequently under- or misdiagnosed and prognosis depends on regurgitation severity, early LV dysfunction, etiology, and intervention strategy, with emerging thresholds for LV structural/functional assessment to guide surgery timing (details truncated). Scientifically and clinically, it reinforces the need for timely diagnosis and multimodality imaging to optimize management in younger patients.
Sozzi FB, Gamberini G, Kim JK et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Rapid Onset of Iron Overload Cardiomyopathy in Cirrhosis.
This case report described two patients with cirrhosis who developed rapid-onset iron overload cardiomyopathy (IOC) without hereditary hemochromatosis or transfusion-dependent anemia. Both patients presented with newly severe cardiomyopathy (e.g., markedly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction) temporally associated with cirrhosis-related iron accumulation. The report is clinically important because it broadens the differential diagnosis of heart failure in cirrhosis to include IOC even in the absence of classic genetic or transfusion risk factors.
Nouraee CM, Swain WH, Harmon DM et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
From Healthy to Heart Failure in 24 Hours: Defining the upper limit of exercise induced cardiac fatigue.
This single-athlete physiological study investigated cardiac consequences of intense cycling performed over 12 and 24 hours, using serial cardiac imaging (echocardiography and rest/exercise cardiac MRI), biomarkers (BNP and troponin-I), and clinical assessment. After the 12-hour attempt and subsequent 24-hour attempt, the athlete demonstrated evidence of exercise-induced cardiac fatigue with measurable biomarker and imaging changes, helping define an upper limit of tolerance. Scientifically, it provides a rare high-resolution characterization of how extreme endurance exercise can transiently stress cardiac structure and function.
Foulkes SJ, Anderson M, Janssens K et al. · Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Epicardial Fat Necrosis as a Rare Cause of Chest Pain: Peeling Back the Layers.
Epicardial fat necrosis (EFN) was studied in two patients presenting with acute, left-sided pleuritic chest pain that mimicked myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, and pericarditis. Chest CT showed characteristic EFN findings and the patients improved with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), with clinical and imaging resolution. This case-based evidence supports EFN as a rare, self-limiting cause of acute chest pain and highlights CT pattern recognition to avoid unnecessary invasive workups.
Da Silva E, Chow B, Paterson DI et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Right Ventricular Metastasis From Rectal Cancer Recurrence.
Right ventricular metastasis from recurrent rectal adenocarcinoma was investigated in a 55-year-old man with rising carcinoembryonic antigen during surveillance and no local or extracardiac disease on initial evaluation. Multimodality imaging identified a large right ventricular free-wall mass with endoluminal growth and late enhancement on cardiac magnetic resonance, and intracardiac echocardiography-guided endomyocardial biopsy was used to establish the diagnosis. Clinically, this underscores the diagnostic value of advanced cardiac imaging and biopsy when cardiac metastasis is suspected despite limited systemic spread.
Vilela M, Cazeiro D, Ferreira D et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Inferior Vena Cava Stenosis Mimicking Right Heart Failure in Carcinoid Heart Disease.
Inferior vena cava (IVC) stenosis as a mimic of right heart failure in carcinoid heart disease was examined in two patients with advanced serotonin-secreting neuroendocrine tumors. The key finding was that carcinoid-related serotonin-mediated fibrosis extended to the venous endothelium, producing venous outflow obstruction with a decompensation phenotype indistinguishable from classic right-sided valvular disease. This highlights that, beyond tricuspid/pulmonary regurgitation, venous obstruction should be considered in carcinoid patients with refractory right heart failure.
Vila-Sanjuán S, Vallejo N, Martí-Aguasca G et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Bilateral Coronary Artery-to-Pulmonary Artery Fistula Treated Using Minimally Invasive Coils and Vascular Embolization Devices.
Bilateral coronary artery-to-pulmonary artery fistulas (CAPFs) were studied in a 44-year-old woman with progressive exertional dyspnea and myocardial ischemia despite a near-normal Qp/Qs ratio. Stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated ischemia, and the fistulas were successfully treated using minimally invasive endovascular techniques—pulmonary artery-side outflow embolization with a vascular occlusion device followed by coil embolization of coronary inflow sites. The report supports a targeted, catheter-based strategy for symptomatic CAPF with ischemia, even when anatomy is bilateral and aneurysmal.
Takagi R, Irita J, Akazawa Y et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Ventricular Tachycardia as the Initial Presentation of Tuberculous Myocarditis.
Tuberculous myocarditis presenting as initial ventricular tachycardia was investigated in a 47-year-old man from a tuberculosis-endemic region with sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia and elevated biomarkers. Multimodal imaging showed extensive inflammatory nonischemic myocardial involvement and mediastinal lymphadenopathy, with lymph node biopsy initially showing nonnecrotizing granulomas and later delayed culture identifying Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Scientifically and clinically, this emphasizes that tuberculosis can mimic cardiac sarcoidosis and that granulomatous inflammation plus arrhythmia warrants microbiologic confirmation before/alongside immunosuppression.
Subira-Ingla A, Francisco-Pascual J, Santos-Ortega A et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Hypereosinophilic endocarditis presenting with intracardiac mass and severe mitral regurgitation: a case report of FIP1L1-PDGFRA positive myeloid neoplasm.
Hypereosinophilic endocarditis with an intracardiac mass and severe mitral regurgitation was studied in a 28-year-old man with progressive dyspnea and hypereosinophilia. Echocardiography identified a mobile mitral-attached mass, cardiac MRI showed subendocardial fibrosis, and bone marrow testing confirmed an FIP1L1–PDGFRA fusion myeloid neoplasm. This case links a specific molecular driver (FIP1L1–PDGFRA) to Loeffler’s-endocarditis phenotype, supporting targeted diagnostic testing in eosinophilic cardiac disease.
Rao NS, Biswas A, Kothari SS et al. · European heart journal. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Dissecting the pathobiology of suspected sepsis through a comparative analysis of endothelial inflammatory and clinical prediction models.
Sepsis pathobiology was investigated in a prospective cohort of suspected sepsis patients recruited from emergency departments across three teaching hospitals, comparing predictive models based on endothelial inflammatory biomarkers versus standard clinical data. The study aimed to forecast two outcomes—persistent vasopressor dependence and acute kidney injury (AKI)—to determine whether endothelial-pathway biomarkers add predictive value beyond clinical variables. If endothelial models outperform clinical ones, this could improve early risk stratification and guide targeted interventions in sepsis.
Ningthoujam AS, Thiyagarajan G, Wani NA et al. · Scientific reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Pharmacological treatments for Friedreich ataxia.
Pharmacological treatments for Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) were systematically reviewed in relation to disease progression and cardiomyopathy-related outcomes in this autosomal recessive neurodegenerative population. The review emphasizes that FRDA commonly leads to premature death due to cardiac abnormalities and that there is no single easily defined clinical/biochemical marker to assess progression or treatment response. This is significant for clinicians and researchers because it frames the evidence base and highlights the need for better therapeutic targets and measurable endpoints in FRDA.
Lyons S, Kearney M, Fahey MC et al. · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Flow-Driven Right-to-Left Shunting Through the Patent Foramen Ovale Causing Hypoxemia and Embolism in a Partial Uhl Anomaly.
This case report studied a 49-year-old woman with partial Uhl anomaly and hypoxemia/embolism to determine the mechanism of right-to-left shunting through a patent foramen ovale (PFO). It reports that multimodality imaging showed partial Uhl physiology with normal right-sided pressures, yet identified a permanent right-to-left PFO shunt predominantly driven by flow redirection related to the congenital abnormality. The clinical significance is improved mechanistic understanding of paradoxical embolism in rare congenital heart disease, supporting targeted evaluation of shunt physiology even when pressures are normal.
Laboratto LE, Vannoni G, Nieto G et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Atrial cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia risk frameworks
Malignant Mitral Valve Prolapse With Life-Threatening Ventricular Arrhythmias: A Multidisciplinary Team-Guided Stepwise Management.
This JACC Case Reports article presents a 45-year-old woman with bileaflet myxomatous mitral valve prolapse and mitral annular disjunction who developed malignant ventricular arrhythmias requiring repeated ICD shocks despite medical therapy. The key finding is that life-threatening polymorphic ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation occurred in the setting of MVP with mechanical/electrical risk markers, raising the question of malignant arrhythmogenic MVP even without severe MR or detectable myocardial fibrosis on cardiac MRI (full details truncated). It underscores the value of multidisciplinary, stepwise risk stratification to identify patients at imminent risk of sudden cardiac events.
Javadi N, Jahangir A, Galazka P et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Atrial Cardiomyopathy: A Cardiologist’s Guide to Stroke, Heart Failure, and Arrhythmias.
This review studied the concept of atrial cardiomyopathy—structural, architectural, contractile, and electrophysiological atrial abnormalities—in relation to stroke, heart failure, and arrhythmias in cardiology. It finds that atrial cardiomyopathy often precedes atrial fibrillation (AF) and independently contributes to adverse outcomes including ischemic stroke, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, and multiple atrial arrhythmias. The scientific significance is a paradigm shift from AF-centric models to atrial substrate–based risk understanding that can inform future prevention and research strategies.
Niazi M, Akram MB, Chaudhary AS et al. · Cardiology in review · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) risk, biomarkers, and prediction
High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Diagnostic Insights and Future Directions.
This narrative review evaluated evidence on high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), focusing on observational cohort, mechanistic, and longitudinal studies across patient populations. The key finding is that hs-cTn reflects myocardial stress in HCM and shows characteristic patterns of elevation that associate with imaging and clinical outcomes. This synthesis supports hs-cTn as a potentially useful biomarker for risk stratification and phenotypic assessment in HCM, while outlining remaining gaps for future research.
Hassan A, Mizori R, Malik A et al. · Cardiology in review · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Predictors of Long-Term Outcomes in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: The NHLBI HCM Registry.
This registry-based study analyzed predictors of long-term adverse outcomes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) using prospectively collected clinical history, imaging, genetic, and biomarker data from 2750 patients enrolled in the NHLBI HCM Registry across 44 North American and European sites. It aims to improve risk prediction beyond existing sudden cardiac death–focused guidelines by integrating multimodal data, including cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and genetic information. The clinical significance is more accurate identification of patients at risk for adverse events, potentially reducing avoidable implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) use and preventing avoidable deaths.
Kramer CM, Kolm P, DiMarco JP et al. · JAMA · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac imaging/assessment methods and computational quantification
Impact of formalin fixation on biventricular parameters in cardiac diffusion tensor imaging: A pilot study in a miniature swine model.
This pilot ex-vivo study examined how formalin fixation alters biventricular cardiac diffusion tensor imaging (cDTI) parameters in one healthy miniature swine heart, with histology (H&E) used as the reference standard. After fixation, subepicardial helix angle (HA) shifted to more negative values and HA transmurality was assessed across 64 myocardial segments (48 LV, 16 RV). These findings indicate that tissue fixation can measurably bias cDTI-derived myocardial microstructural metrics, which is important for translating cardiac DTI workflows between research and histology-based validation.
Zhu L, Xu J, Cui C et al. · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Quantitative ventricular trabeculation assessment in cardiac MRI: optimised blood-pool segmentation, box-counting fractal analysis and non-fractal measurements.
This methodological study optimized quantitative ventricular trabeculation assessment on cardiac MRI by improving blood-pool segmentation (level-set method) and applying box-counting fractal analysis plus non-fractal metrics in left and right ventricles at end-diastole and end-systole. The key finding is that the authors’ optimized workflow improves reliability for automated large-cohort analysis and systematically evaluates how box size, sampling, and rotation affect fractal dimension estimates. Scientifically, the work provides a more robust pipeline for comparing trabeculation metrics across studies and for investigating ventricular remodeling phenotypes.
Sedlacik J, McGurk KA, Tokarczuk PF et al. · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
CardioSynth: Parameter-driven cardiac MRI generation via oriented bounding boxes.
The study developed CardioSynth, a parameter-driven synthetic cardiac MRI generation framework using oriented bounding box representations of cardiac substructures. It enables controlled area modifications while preserving anatomical plausibility through a three-stage pipeline that encodes substructures as oriented bounding boxes and progressively applies label modifications (details truncated in the abstract). This provides a scalable tool for generating realistic CMR data to support research on cardiac development, adaptation, and disease progression without repeated costly acquisitions.
Banerjee S, Mazumder O, Sinha A · Computer methods and programs in biomedicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Radiomics with native T1 mapping for contrast-free detection of acute and chronic myocardial infarction: A multicenter study.
This multicenter retrospective study evaluated native T1 mapping–based radiomics models for contrast-free detection of acute and chronic myocardial infarction (MI) in 310 MI patients (162 acute, 148 chronic) and 180 controls using 3.0T CMR. The key finding was that radiomics features extracted from manually delineated ROIs and selected by recursive feature elimination produced diagnostic performance for MI and externally validated performance for acute/chronic differentiation (full results truncated). Clinically, it suggests a non-contrast CMR approach that could improve MI characterization and reduce reliance on gadolinium-based imaging.
Li S, Huo H, Zheng Y et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗
Navigating the Zero Fluoroscopy Frontier: Current Tools, Evidence and Future Directions in Electrophysiology Procedures.
This narrative review studied current “zero-fluoroscopy” (ZF) imaging and guidance tools for electrophysiology (EP) ablation procedures in electrophysiology practice. It reports accumulating evidence supporting ZF protocols using electroanatomic mapping systems, transesophageal echocardiography and intracardiac echocardiography, visualizable sheaths, contact-force sensing catheters, integration of preprocedural advanced cardiac imaging, and real-time cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) EP guidance. The clinical significance is reduced radiation exposure for both patients and operators while maintaining procedural guidance quality, with future directions focused on expanding evidence and standardizing ZF workflows.
Kotzadamis D, Giannopoulos G, Schismenos V et al. · Pacing and clinical electrophysiology : PACE · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
The effects of aging on left ventricular diastolic function evaluated with 4D flow MRI: a novel approach using mitral velocity and propagation velocity measurements.
This study evaluated how aging affects left ventricular (LV) diastolic function using 4D flow MRI–derived mitral inflow velocity and propagation velocity measurements in 60 healthy volunteers (ages 20–80). It reports that diastolic filling parameters typically obtained with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE)—including inflow velocity, flow filling rate, and propagation velocity (VP)—can be characterized with 4D-flow MRI across the adult age range. The clinical significance is that 4D-flow MRI may provide a novel, noninvasive way to quantify age-related diastolic changes using velocity-based physiology.
Stipechi LV, Craiem D, Gencer U et al. · Physiological measurement · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Training and credentialing in robotic general surgery.
This narrative review studied training and credentialing frameworks for robotic general surgery across surgical systems and training pathways. It finds that training access, definitions of competency/proficiency, assessment standards, and institutional credentialing practices vary substantially and have not kept pace with rapid robotic platform adoption. The significance is that these inconsistencies may affect patient safety, equity of access, and workforce readiness, motivating more harmonized credentialing and competency assessment approaches.
Harris M, Mohan H, Martins BAA et al. · International journal of colorectal disease · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Understanding the cardiology training landscape in Asia-Pacific region.
This cross-sectional study mapped cardiology training and credentialing pathways in the Asia-Pacific region using a 42-item online questionnaire completed by credentialed cardiologists representing 23 regions. It finds that all regions require specialist qualification to practise cardiology, with 69.6% reporting a single training pathway and 21.7% and 8.7% reporting additional pathway structures (as summarized in the abstract). The significance is that the documented regional similarities and disparities can guide development of more tailored cardiology curricula and credentialing policies.
Cader FA, Lee WYS, Widodo WA et al. · Postgraduate medical journal · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Generated automatically on May 16, 2026. Covers PubMed articles published May 09, 2026 – May 16, 2026. Summaries are AI-generated; always consult the original publication for clinical or research decisions.