What's New in Cardiac MRI? — May 17, 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 17, 2026 · 53 articles · 15 research themes · covering May 10, 2026 – May 17, 2026
Overview
Across this week’s set of papers, a dominant theme is the move toward earlier, more precise cardiovascular risk detection using advanced imaging and biomarkers—especially cardiac MRI. Multiple studies and reviews emphasize that conventional measures (e.g., LVEF, AF-centric thinking, nonspecific biomarkers) can miss clinically important disease stages. Examples include CMR-based strain and coupling indices for identifying “pre-HF” or prognostic risk in reduced EF populations, hs-cTn patterns in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and serial CMR trajectories for immune checkpoint inhibitor myocarditis. Together, these works support a broader strategy of staging disease earlier and monitoring trajectories rather than relying solely on end-stage clinical endpoints.
A second major thread is the refinement of imaging workflows and analytic tools to make advanced measurements more reproducible and scalable. Methodological papers address standardization issues (e.g., diffusion tensor imaging effects of fixation), automated segmentation and quantitative analysis (trabeculation fractal metrics, radiomics from native T1 mapping), and foundation-model approaches for cine CMR interpretation. These advances aim to reduce variability, improve generalizability across sites, and lower the barrier to extracting clinically meaningful parameters at scale.
Finally, several articles highlight the clinical importance of “mimics” and reversible causes—ranging from inflammatory and infectious myocarditis phenotypes (including sarcoidosis vs tuberculosis) to drug- and supplement-related cardiotoxicity, rare congenital shunt mechanisms, and iron overload in nonclassic settings. In parallel, trial design and procedural safety/credentialing papers underscore that evidence generation and implementation (including radiation-reduction workflows and harmonized training/credentialing) are essential to translate new diagnostics and therapies into safer, equitable care.
Cardiac MRI biomarkers & risk prediction
High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Diagnostic Insights and Future Directions.
This narrative review synthesized observational cohort, mechanistic, and longitudinal evidence on high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The key finding is that hs-cTn reflects myocardial stress in HCM, with characteristic patterns of elevation and associations with imaging and clinical outcomes across cohorts. Scientifically, it supports hs-cTn as a potential biomarker to better capture HCM severity and phenotypic heterogeneity and guide future clinical applications.
Hassan A, Mizori R, Malik A et al. · Cardiology in review · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Unmasking subclinical cardiomyopathy: The role of cardiopulmonary exercise testing when screening genotype-positive phenotype negative relatives.
This single-center case series evaluated whether cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) can detect subclinical cardiomyopathy in gene-positive, phenotype-negative (G+P-) relatives undergoing cascade testing in families with likely/definite pathogenic cardiomyopathy variants. The key finding is that CPET was assessed as an additional screening tool when conventional testing (ECG, echocardiography, Holter monitoring, and cardiac MRI) is unremarkable in younger relatives. The clinical significance is earlier identification of latent disease in genotype-positive relatives to enable timely surveillance and intervention.
Abela M, Scicluna J, Debattista J et al. · International journal of cardiology · (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, despite no Q-wave changes on serial ECGs. The key finding is that multimodality imaging demonstrated progressive left ventricular remodeling with aneurysmal evolution and mural thrombus formation, guiding successful surgery. The clinical significance is that absence of Q waves can delay recognition of nonanterior left ventricular aneurysms, so imaging-guided evaluation is crucial.
Gaido L, Attisani M, Scalini F et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Pharmacological treatments for Friedreich ataxia.
This Cochrane systematic review evaluated pharmacological treatments for Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) in people with the autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder. The review summarizes the evidence base for drug therapies aimed at modifying disease progression and managing key complications, while highlighting the lack of easily defined clinical/biochemical markers to assess treatment effects. Clinically, it informs which pharmacologic strategies have supportive evidence versus those that remain uncertain, guiding future FRDA trial design and outcome selection.
Lyons S, Kearney M, Fahey MC et al. · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Predictors of Long-Term Outcomes in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: The NHLBI HCM Registry.
This JAMA registry-based study analyzed prospectively collected clinical history, imaging, genetic, and biomarker data to improve long-term risk prediction in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients. The key finding is that the NHLBI HCM Registry (2750 patients from 44 North American/European sites with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging expertise) provides a comprehensive dataset to refine prediction of adverse events beyond existing sudden cardiac death–focused guidelines. Clinically, improved risk models could reduce avoidable implantable cardioverter-defibrillator use while preventing missed high-risk patients.
Kramer CM, Kolm P, DiMarco JP et al. · JAMA · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI methods, standardization & AI
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 affects biventricular cardiac diffusion tensor imaging (cDTI) parameters in one healthy miniature swine heart, with histology (hematoxylin and eosin) used as the reference standard. After fixation, myocardial helix angle (HA) and HA transmurality measures shifted (e.g., subepicardial HA became more negative) across 64 LV/RV segments compared head-to-head between baseline and post-fixation timepoints. These findings are important for standardizing cDTI workflows and interpreting diffusion-derived myocardial microstructure in fixed-heart cardiac MRI research.
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 a quantitative cardiac MRI workflow for ventricular trabeculation analysis using automated blood-pool segmentation, level-set segmentation, box-counting fractal analysis, and non-fractal boundary measures. The key finding was that the optimized level-set approach and controlled box-counting parameters (box size/sampling/rotation) improve reliable fractal dimension (FD) assessment of left and right ventricular trabeculae/blood boundaries at end-diastole and end-systole. This is significant for enabling robust, automated trabeculation quantification in large-scale cardiac MRI cohorts.
Sedlacik J, McGurk KA, Tokarczuk PF et al. · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
CardioSynth: Parameter-driven cardiac MRI generation via oriented bounding boxes.
This study developed CardioSynth, a parameter-driven cardiac MRI synthesis framework that encodes cardiac substructures as oriented bounding boxes to enable controlled anatomical area modifications while preserving plausibility. The key finding is that oriented bounding box representations support realistic, parameter-controlled synthetic cardiac imaging suitable for studying development, adaptation, and disease progression without acquiring new scans. The significance is a potential tool for scalable, contrast- and acquisition-independent cardiac MRI generation for research and longitudinal modeling.
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 myocardial infarction (MI) and differentiation of acute versus chronic MI in 310 MI patients (162 acute, 148 chronic) and 180 controls using 3.0T CMR. It found that radiomics features extracted from manual ROI delineations on native T1 mapping (with key feature selection via recursive feature elimination) produced diagnostic performance for MI and externally validated performance for acute/chronic differentiation. The clinical significance is that native T1 mapping radiomics could reduce reliance on gadolinium contrast (LGE) for MI characterization.
Li S, Huo H, Zheng Y et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗
High-precision brain tumor segmentation with switchable normalization in faster R-CNN architecture.
This study proposed a Switchable Normalization-based Faster R-CNN (SNFRC) framework for high-precision brain tumor segmentation using multi-modal MRI, with a region proposal network that applies switchable normalization to handle heterogeneous intensity/protocol distributions. The key finding is that detection-based localization followed by pixel-wise masking and a composite loss function (including Dice loss) improves segmentation accuracy for irregular small tumors under varying MRI conditions. The significance is a more robust deep-learning segmentation approach for clinical neuroimaging workflows across diverse acquisition settings.
Kumar DR, Reddy PV, Mohammad H et al. · Scientific reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Development and validation of a versatile foundation model for cine cardiac magnetic resonance image analysis.
This study developed and validated CineMA, a multi-view conv-transformer masked autoencoder foundation model for cine cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) image analysis, trained on 15 million cine CMR images from 74,916 studies. The key finding was that the foundation model could be fine-tuned and evaluated across eight independent datasets for tasks such as segmentation and landmark localization, reducing the need to train separate models from scratch per task and improving reproducibility relative to conventional approaches. The clinical significance is faster, more scalable, and potentially more consistent extraction of CMR measurements that are central to diagnosis and management.
Fu Y, Bai W, Yi W et al. · Communications medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Canadian radiology: 2026 update.
This article studied the state of Canadian radiology in 2026, summarizing technically sophisticated, clinically relevant research and system-level developments across subspecialties including cardiothoracic imaging. The key finding was that Canadian work continues to advance cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and related cardiovascular imaging areas, alongside updates in other domains such as contrast media hypersensitivity approaches. Its significance is that it provides a curated overview of evolving imaging methods and practice-relevant research directions that can inform clinicians and researchers.
Kamran R, Buckley B, Costa AF et al. · Diagnostic and interventional imaging · (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 parameters, in 60 healthy volunteers spanning ages 20–80 years. The key finding is that diastolic filling metrics typically obtained by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE)—including mitral inflow peak velocities and propagation velocity (VP)—can be quantified with 4D flow MRI to characterize age-related changes in LV filling. Scientifically, it supports 4D flow MRI as a noninvasive approach to derive diastolic physiology across the adult lifespan.
Stipechi LV, Craiem D, Gencer U et al. · Physiological measurement · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Glass-box agentic-style workflow for multiclass cine cardiac magnetic resonance imaging classification with a large language model.
The study developed and evaluated a glass-box, agentic-style radiology workflow using a large language model (GPT-OSS-120B) to perform auditable multiclass diagnosis of cine cardiac MRI (bSSFP) in a labeled Automated Cardiac Diagnosis Challenge cohort (n=100) across five diagnostic classes. Using nnU-Net segmentation at end-diastole and end-systole to extract 17 clinically interpretable biomarkers, the pipeline separated perception from reasoning and assessed classification accuracy/robustness across LLM decoding temperatures as well as fidelity and safety of generated narrative explanations. This approach aims to improve transparent, clinically interpretable AI decision-making for multiclass cardiac MRI classification by making both the biomarker-based evidence and the generated explanations auditable.
Mese I, Kocak B · Diagnostic and interventional radiology (Ankara, Turkey) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Echocardiography & functional testing in cardiovascular care
Repositioning of exercise treadmill testing in contemporary chest pain management.
This narrative review studied the contemporary role of exercise treadmill testing (ETT) in chest pain management in the context of imaging-led strategies such as coronary CT angiography (CTCA) and stress imaging (CMR or stress echocardiography). It finds that although ETT has generally lower diagnostic accuracy for obstructive coronary artery disease than modern imaging, it still provides clinically useful exercise-derived prognostic/functional information and may remain valuable depending on cost/resource considerations and guideline positioning. The significance is practical guidance on where ETT fits in current chest pain pathways despite the dominance of advanced imaging.
Xue X, Bai Y, Li H et al. · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Atrial disease, cardiomyopathy & stroke/AF risk
Atrial Cardiomyopathy: A Cardiologist’s Guide to Stroke, Heart Failure, and Arrhythmias.
This review article studied the concept of atrial cardiomyopathy as a unifying framework for atrial structural, architectural, contractile, and electrophysiological abnormalities in relation to stroke, heart failure, and arrhythmias. It finds that atrial cardiomyopathy often precedes atrial fibrillation (AF) and independently contributes to adverse outcomes such as ischemic stroke and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. The clinical significance is a shift from AF-centric thinking toward earlier identification and targeting of atrial disease mechanisms (e.g., fibrosis and inflammation) to reduce downstream cardiovascular events.
Niazi M, Akram MB, Chaudhary AS et al. · Cardiology in review · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Heart failure staging, prevention & remodeling
Design and Rationale of the WE-CARE-HF-CMR Trial: Cardiorenal Care on Wheels for Asymptomatic Heart Failure Patients (NCT07185100).
This paper describes the design and rationale of the WE-CARE-HF-CMR trial, which will use mobile cardiac MRI to detect subclinical myocardial dysfunction in asymptomatic heart failure patients (NCT07185100), leveraging left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) beyond LVEF. The key finding is the trial’s premise that GLS can identify a higher prevalence of “pre-HF” (stage B) than conventional ejection fraction measures, building on HERZCHECK data from rural Germany and extending to urban populations. Scientifically and clinically, the study aims to clarify the real-world burden of asymptomatic HF and enable earlier intervention using mobile CMR-based strain assessment.
Li JJ, Thiede G, Götze C et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
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 iron repletion with ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) affects short-term left ventricular systolic dyssynchrony in patients with heart failure (LVEF <50%) and iron deficiency, using the longitudinal systolic dyssynchrony index (L-SDI) derived from cardiac MRI feature tracking (CMR-FT). The key finding is that dyssynchrony (L-SDI) was evaluated as a mechanistic link between iron repletion and potential improvement in ventricular synchrony/response to cardiac resynchronization therapy. The scientific significance is that CMR-FT–based dyssynchrony metrics may help explain which HF patients benefit from iron therapy.
Del Canto I, Miñana G, Cardells I et al. · Communications medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Structural and Functional Abnormalities in the Preterm Heart: From Development to Adulthood.
This review studied the long-term cardiovascular consequences of preterm birth, focusing on adults who were born preterm and the developmental mechanisms affecting the heart from infancy through adulthood. It found that even when preterm infants have structurally normal hearts, exposures such as abnormal oxygen levels, disrupted cellular architecture, altered extracellular matrix, impaired cardiomyocyte mitochondrial and sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum maturation, and increased procedural stress contribute to higher adult cardiovascular disease risk. Scientifically and clinically, it supports enhanced surveillance and mechanistically informed prevention strategies for adults born preterm.
Zegelbone P, Young K, Hughes F et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac magnetic resonance-derived left atrioventricular coupling index predicts outcome in reduced ejection fraction.
This multicenter registry study evaluated whether the 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 and reduced ejection fraction (LVEF <50%) from the DERIVATE registry. The key finding was that higher or altered LACI was prognostic for adverse outcomes including all-cause mortality and heart failure events, with associations estimated using Cox regression models. Clinically, it suggests that CMR-derived LACI can serve as a practical risk stratification biomarker in reduced LVEF 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 ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) in 405,406 participants aged 40–69 years without prior HF, using hospital-admission HF codes and secondary outcomes including all-cause mortality and myocardial infarction, with CMR findings described. The study found that ischemic stroke/TIA survivors had an increased risk of incident HF and that HF occurrence was associated with worse clinical outcomes, with CMR used to characterize underlying cardiac remodeling. Clinically, the results help quantify post-stroke/TIA HF risk and support CMR-informed risk stratification for secondary prevention.
Muthalaly RG, Nerlekar N, Tan S et al. · ESC heart failure · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Ischemic heart disease & coronary microvascular dysfunction
Integrating Anatomy and Ischemia in Chest Pain Evaluation.
This article reviews how to integrate anatomic assessment (e.g., coronary CT angiography with or without CT-derived fractional flow reserve) with physiologic/functional testing (stress echocardiography, PET myocardial blood flow/coronary flow reserve, and stress cardiac MRI) for chest-pain evaluation in patients with suspected coronary atherosclerosis. It finds that combining noninvasive anatomic and physiologic strategies improves triage and characterization of coronary disease compared with anatomy-only or function-only approaches. The clinical significance is that a multimodal, anatomy-plus-ischemia workflow can better identify patients who need invasive coronary angiography with physiology (fractional flow reserve/instantaneous wave-free ratio) and intravascular imaging (intravascular ultrasound/optical coherence tomography).
Tiotsop M, Salabei JK · The American journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Smaller coronary artery size in adults born preterm.
This study examined whether adults born preterm have smaller coronary arteries than adults born at term by performing cardiac MRI at 1.5 T with short-axis balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) cine and 3D bSSFP coronary magnetic resonance angiography. The key finding was that coronary artery size—quantified by left main (LM), left anterior descending (LAD), and right coronary artery (RCA) area and diameter—was reduced in adults born preterm. The significance is that preterm birth may program coronary vascular development, offering an imaging biomarker for later 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.
This study protocol outlines a randomized controlled trial (V-COM) testing vericiguat, a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, in patients with coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) causing stable chest pain. The trial uses quantitative stress CMR to measure stress myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) as key physiological endpoints. Scientifically, it aims to determine whether vericiguat improves CMR-derived microvascular perfusion in INOCA/CMD populations where effective therapies are limited.
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 ↗
Valvular heart disease & post-procedure outcomes
Left Ventricular Rehabilitation after Ross operation for Critical Aortic Stenosis with Endocardial Fibroelastosis.
This study evaluated long-term clinical and functional outcomes after neonatal/infant Ross operation for critical aortic stenosis with endocardial fibroelastosis (EFE), comparing patients with and without EFE using echocardiographic and follow-up data. The key finding was that the presence of EFE (and its management during Ross) is linked to differences in long-term LV functional performance and clinical outcomes. This is significant for surgical planning and prognostication in congenital critical aortic stenosis complicated by EFE.
Jacob KA, Korsuize NA, van Wijk A et al. · The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Contemporary Overview of Aortic Regurgitation in Young Individuals: Insights From Real-Life Evidence.
This review studied aortic regurgitation (AR) in young individuals aged 18–44 years, emphasizing real-world evidence on diagnosis, prognosis, and intervention timing. It found that AR in young adults is frequently under- or misdiagnosed and may not be benign, with outcomes depending on regurgitation severity, early left ventricular dysfunction, etiology, and chosen management strategy, while emerging data propose updated echocardiographic thresholds for left ventricular structural/functional assessment. The significance is that timely multimodality evaluation—anchored by echocardiography—may improve risk stratification and guide earlier surgical decision-making in chronic asymptomatic AR.
Sozzi FB, Gamberini G, Kim JK et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Effect of anti-fibrotic therapy on regression of myocardial fibrosis after TAVI: Design and rationale of the Reduce-MFA DZHK25 trial.
The Reduce-MFA DZHK25 trial design study will test anti-fibrotic therapy to determine whether it can regress aortic stenosis (AS)-induced myocardial fibrosis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in patients with high baseline fibrotic burden. The key finding is the trial’s rationale and primary objective: to assess the impact of anti-fibrotic treatment on myocardial fibrosis regression post-TAVI, with secondary outcomes including left-ventricular reverse remodeling, symptom improvement, and mortality/hospitalization reduction. Scientifically and clinically, it targets myocardial fibrosis as a modifiable risk factor for post-TAVI outcomes in AS patients.
Puls M, Zeisberg EM, Placzek M et al. · ESC heart failure · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Myocarditis & inflammatory cardiomyopathy spectrum
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 was that abnormal cardiac MRI (CMR) was present in 63.4% of cases, with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in 65.3% and an odds ratio of 5.32 for ICI-M diagnosis (with additional prognostic metrics reported in the full text). Clinically, it supports CMR—particularly LGE—as a valuable diagnostic tool and helps clarify which imaging/lab parameters may better predict outcomes 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 addresses inflammatory cardiomyopathy (iCMP), a chronic hypokinetic phenotype within the myocarditis spectrum, and synthesizes evidence for diagnosis and management across patients with prior acute/subacute myocarditis and genetic susceptibility. It concludes that iCMP is driven by heterogeneous causes (infectious, autoimmune, or idiopathic) and may follow a “two-hit” model where environmental triggers interact with pathogenic variants, and that diagnosis requires a multimodal approach. The scientific significance is improved recognition and structured evaluation of iCMP to 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) imaging in patients with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) myocarditis versus pre-ICI controls, enrolling 62 total participants with CMR at baseline and again at 8–12 weeks. The key finding was that changes in CMR parameters over follow-up were associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes (ACE), supporting serial CMR as a tool for monitoring ICI myocarditis trajectory. Scientifically, it provides prospective evidence that longitudinal CMR metrics can improve outcome prediction in ICI myocarditis, potentially informing follow-up intensity 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 ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Multimodality Imaging in Myocarditis: Integrating Etiology, Diagnosis, and Risk Stratification.
This narrative review studied how multimodality imaging integrates etiology, diagnosis, and risk stratification in myocarditis. It found that cardiac magnetic resonance is the reference noninvasive modality, with parametric mapping and updated Lake Louise criteria improving diagnostic sensitivity and prognostic stratification, while echocardiographic strain can detect subclinical dysfunction and positron emission tomography can add etiologic and activity information. The significance is a proposed practical imaging pathway to improve diagnosis and longitudinal management of myocarditis despite limitations of nonspecific biomarkers and endomyocardial biopsy.
Debs D, Rushworth P, Liu J et al. · Current cardiology reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Dissecting the pathobiology of suspected sepsis through a comparative analysis of endothelial inflammatory and clinical prediction models.
This prospective comparative analysis enrolled suspected sepsis patients from emergency departments across three secondary/tertiary teaching hospitals to evaluate whether endothelial inflammation biomarkers improve prediction of persistent vasopressor dependence and acute kidney injury (AKI) beyond standard clinical models. The study focused on contrasting biomarker-based models reflecting endothelial dysfunction and systemic inflammation against models using routine clinical data. If biomarkers add predictive value, the work could enable earlier, more accurate risk stratification and targeted management in sepsis.
Ningthoujam AS, Thiyagarajan G, Wani NA et al. · Scientific reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac sarcoidosis, tuberculosis & infectious mimics
Ventricular Tachycardia as the Initial Presentation of Tuberculous Myocarditis.
This case report described a 47-year-old man from a tuberculosis-endemic region presenting with sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia and biomarker elevation, with normal coronary angiography but multimodal imaging showing extensive inflammatory nonischemic myocardial involvement and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Initial lymph node biopsy showed nonnecrotizing granulomas leading to probable cardiac sarcoidosis and corticosteroid therapy, while delayed culture later identified Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The case highlights tuberculous myocarditis as an important arrhythmia mimic of cardiac sarcoidosis and supports microbiologic confirmation before or alongside immunosuppression.
Subira-Ingla A, Francisco-Pascual J, Santos-Ortega A et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiotoxicity & drug/supplement-induced cardiac injury
Fluoropyrimidine Cardiotoxicity With Overlapping Vasospastic and Pericardial Features: A Diagnostic Challenge.
This JACC Case Reports article described a 57-year-old man with HER2-positive gastric cancer who developed fluoropyrimidine cardiotoxicity during FOLFOX-6M, specifically during 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) infusion. The key finding was a diagnostic challenge with overlapping vasospastic and pericardial features—severe chest pain with ECG changes and QTc prolongation, initially negative biomarkers, and later new concave ST-segment elevation despite normal echocardiography and coronary CT angiography. Clinically, it highlights the need to consider both coronary vasospasm and inflammatory pericardial involvement when evaluating fluoropyrimidine-associated chest pain.
Viñas-Mendieta AE, Valencia-Hernandez HA, Ruiz-Mori E et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Myopericarditis After Combined Idarubicin and Quizartinib in FLT3-ITD-Positive AML.
This JACC Case Reports report describes a 64-year-old man with acute myelogenous leukemia treated with cytarabine and the anthracycline idarubicin followed by the FLT3 inhibitor quizartinib who developed myopericarditis. The key finding is that cardiac MRI showed late gadolinium enhancement consistent with myopericarditis after combined anthracycline exposure and subsequent FLT3 inhibition. The clinical significance is heightened awareness that quizartinib may precipitate or worsen cardiac inflammatory injury in patients already exposed to anthracyclines.
Spahr ZR, Vasquez MA, Tangella A et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Unexplained Supraventricular Tachycardia and Myocardial Injury After Bitter Orange Supplement Use in a Young Woman.
This case 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 is that she presented with palpitations and chest symptoms, had supraventricular tachycardia responsive to intravenous adenosine, and showed a marked rise in high-sensitivity troponin I. The clinical significance is that sympathomimetic supplements like p-synephrine can cause acute arrhythmia and myocardial injury, warranting prompt cardiovascular evaluation.
Plaitis A, Grigoraki E, Karakosta M et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Epicardial Fat Necrosis as a Rare Cause of Chest Pain: Peeling Back the Layers.
These case reports described two patients presenting with acute severe, left-sided pleuritic chest pain ultimately diagnosed with epicardial fat necrosis (EFN) using chest CT after laboratory testing showed elevated D-dimer and C-reactive protein with normal troponin. Both cases were treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and showed clinical and imaging resolution. The report highlights EFN as a rare mimic of myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, and pericarditis, supporting CT-based diagnosis to avoid unnecessary invasive or thrombolytic therapies.
Da Silva E, Chow B, Paterson DI et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac oncology & metastasis to the heart
Right Ventricular Metastasis From Rectal Cancer Recurrence.
This JACC Case Reports report described a 55-year-old man with previously treated rectal adenocarcinoma and rising carcinoembryonic antigen levels in whom multimodality imaging identified a right ventricular free-wall metastasis measuring 36 × 48 mm with endoluminal growth and late enhancement on CMR. Right ventricular metastasis was confirmed via intracardiac echocardiography-guided endomyocardial biopsy in the setting of no extracardiac disease. The case underscores the diagnostic value of CMR and biopsy for rare cardiac metastases when surveillance suggests recurrence but extracardiac spread is absent.
Vilela M, Cazeiro D, Ferreira D et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cancer type-specific variation in patterns of driver alterations across 50,000 tumors.
This study analyzed somatic driver alterations across 50,000+ tumors to quantify how driver patterns vary by cancer type and tissue context, using 54,331 tumors from 48,179 patients spanning 448 histological cancer subtypes. It identified cancer type-specific driver alteration patterns, including 164 newly identified hotspots, and found that about one-third of drivers occur in non-canonical contexts with distinct properties such as increased subclonality, later emergence, and divergent biology. These results improve the biological interpretation of cancer genomics by showing that driver effects are context-dependent, which can refine subtype-specific biomarker discovery and therapeutic targeting.
Bandlamudi C, Muldoon D, de Bruijn I et al. · Cancer cell · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Rare cardiac diseases & congenital shunts
Massive cardiac echinococcosis.
This article reviewed and illustrated massive cardiac echinococcosis as a rare manifestation of systemic hydatid disease using a multimodal imaging case (chest radiograph, CT, and cardiac MRI). The key finding was that cardiac hydatid involvement can present with atypical symptoms such as chest pain or breathlessness and show characteristic imaging findings across modalities. Clinically, recognizing these imaging patterns can improve diagnosis and management of potentially life-threatening parasitic cardiac disease.
Rai P, Aswani Y · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Inferior Vena Cava Stenosis Mimicking Right Heart Failure in Carcinoid Heart Disease.
This case report described two patients with advanced carcinoid heart disease in whom serotonin-mediated fibrosis extended beyond right-sided valves to the vascular endothelium, producing inferior vena cava stenosis that mimicked right heart failure. The key finding was venous outflow obstruction from carcinoid-related fibrosis, creating a clinical phenotype indistinguishable from cardiac decompensation. The report emphasizes that in carcinoid heart disease, venous obstruction should be considered when right-sided failure symptoms are disproportionate to valvular findings.
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.
This case report described a 44-year-old woman with bilateral coronary artery-to-pulmonary artery fistulas (CAPF) causing exertional dyspnea, where stress CMR demonstrated myocardial ischemia despite a near-normal Qp/Qs ratio (1.08). Treatment used a minimally invasive endovascular strategy with pulmonary artery-side outflow embolization using a vascular occlusion device followed by coil embolization of coronary inflow sites. The report supports catheter-based closure as a targeted approach for symptomatic CAPF with ischemia.
Takagi R, Irita J, Akazawa Y et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Flow-Driven Right-to-Left Shunting Through the Patent Foramen Ovale Causing Hypoxemia and Embolism in a Partial Uhl Anomaly.
This JACC Case Reports article studied a 49-year-old woman with partial Uhl anomaly presenting with progressive dyspnea and a prior ischemic stroke. The key finding is that multimodality imaging identified a permanent right-to-left shunt through a patent foramen ovale causing hypoxemia and embolism, driven predominantly by flow redirection despite normal right-sided pressures. The clinical significance is that it highlights a non-pressure-dependent mechanism for shunting in rare congenital disease, informing diagnostic evaluation and management of unexplained hypoxemia/embolism.
Laboratto LE, Vannoni G, Nieto G et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac fibrosis, iron overload & other reversible cardiomyopathies
Rapid Onset of Iron Overload Cardiomyopathy in Cirrhosis.
This case report studied two patients with cirrhosis who developed iron overload cardiomyopathy (IOC) without hereditary hemochromatosis or transfusion-dependent anemia. The key finding was rapid onset of severe cardiomyopathy in this cirrhosis-associated setting, with one patient showing a marked decline in left ventricular ejection fraction over about one year, indicating that IOC can emerge quickly even when classic risk factors are absent. Clinically, it underscores the need to consider iron overload as a reversible or treatable cause of heart failure in cirrhosis and to prompt timely evaluation for IOC.
Nouraee CM, Swain WH, Harmon DM 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.
This case report described a 28-year-old man with hypereosinophilic endocarditis presenting with an intracardiac mass attached to the mitral valve, severe mitral regurgitation, and hypereosinophilia. Cardiac MRI showed subendocardial fibrosis and molecular testing of a myeloid neoplasm confirmed the FIP1L1-PDGFRA fusion, establishing the underlying driver of Loeffler’s endocarditis. The report is clinically significant because it links a treatable genetic cause (FIP1L1-PDGFRA) to a high-risk cardiac presentation and guides targeted management.
Rao NS, Biswas A, Kothari SS et al. · European heart journal. Case reports · (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 French-Italian registry study examined iron chelation management in infants and toddlers with Diamond-Blackfan anemia syndrome (DBAS), focusing on when chelation is initiated and which chelator is used. Among 167 transfused DBAS patients screened, 64 (38%) started chelation before age 3 years, with initiation typically based on serum ferritin ≥500 ng/mL (median 1340 ng/mL) and >10 transfusions, and the most used chelator was deferasirox. The findings provide early-life real-world evidence to guide chelation timing and drug selection in DBAS, where preventing early severe iron overload is critical.
Torchio F, Lecalvez B, Garelli E et al. · American journal of hematology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Arrhythmias & device/monitoring strategies
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 analysis studied whether naïve CD4+ T-cell characteristics and disease status at the time of CAR T infusion predict outcomes in 64 patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma receiving second-line commercial CAR T therapy (axi-cel or liso-cel). The key finding was that primary refractory disease and progressive disease at infusion were associated with inferior response rates, and that naïve CD4+ T-cell features at infusion correlated with clinical outcomes. These results are clinically important for patient selection and risk stratification for second-line axi-cel/liso-cel therapy.
Schneider M, Paruzzo L, Stella F et al. · Nature communications · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
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, predictors, and outcomes of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy (AIC) in 780 patients treated with a wearable cardioverter-defibrillator (WCD) who had newly diagnosed idiopathic left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVEF <35%) plus persistent arrhythmia. The key finding was that AIC can be identified in this early rhythm-control population and is potentially reversible, with outcomes dependent on arrhythmia burden and subsequent rhythm management (details truncated in the abstract). This is significant because it informs recognition and management strategies for reversible cardiomyopathy using WCD-enabled early intervention.
Yogarajah J, Dannebaum J, Halim A et al. · Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Malignant Mitral Valve Prolapse With Life-Threatening Ventricular Arrhythmias: A Multidisciplinary Team-Guided Stepwise Management.
This case report studied a 45-year-old woman with long-standing bileaflet myxomatous mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and mitral annular disjunction who developed near-syncope and frequent polymorphic ventricular tachycardia progressing to recurrent ventricular fibrillation despite medical therapy and multiple ICD shocks. The key finding was that “malignant” arrhythmogenic MVP can present and drive life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias even without severe mitral regurgitation and without detectable myocardial fibrosis on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, using a stepwise multidisciplinary risk-management approach combining electrical and mechanical markers. Clinically, it highlights the need to recognize high-risk MVP phenotypes (e.g., annular disjunction) and to consider aggressive arrhythmia prevention strategies even when CMR fibrosis is absent and MR is mild.
Javadi N, Jahangir A, Galazka P 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 study examined cardiac consequences of 12-hour and 24-hour intense cycling in a single former professional ultra-endurance athlete (age 41–42) using echocardiography, rest and exercise cardiac MRI (CMR), and biomarkers including BNP and cardiac troponin-I (cTnI). After the 12-hour attempt the athlete was physically exhausted but showed no significant cardiac injury, while the 24-hour attempt defined an upper limit of exercise-induced cardiac fatigue with measurable cardiac changes over time. These findings provide a mechanistic, imaging- and biomarker-based benchmark for how extreme endurance exercise may transiently stress the heart before overt injury occurs.
Foulkes SJ, Anderson M, Janssens K et al. · Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Surgical/clinical training, credentialing & trial design
Navigating the Zero Fluoroscopy Frontier: Current Tools, Evidence and Future Directions in Electrophysiology Procedures.
This narrative review assessed current zero-fluoroscopy (ZF) tools and evidence for electrophysiology (EP) ablation procedures, focusing on radiation-reduction strategies for both operators and patients. It reports that multiple ZF modalities—such as electroanatomic mapping systems, transesophageal/intracardiac echocardiography, visualizable sheaths, contact-force sensing catheters, integration of preprocedural advanced cardiac imaging, and real-time cardiac MRI guidance—have growing evidence supporting ZF protocols. The significance is that it consolidates practical options and future directions for safer EP ablation workflows with minimized fluoroscopy exposure.
Kotzadamis D, Giannopoulos G, Schismenos V et al. · Pacing and clinical electrophysiology : PACE · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Training and credentialing in robotic general surgery.
This narrative review studied training and credentialing frameworks for robotic general surgery across surgical domains and training pathways. It finds that training/competency definitions, assessment standards, and institutional credentialing practices have not kept pace with rapid robotic platform adoption, creating variability that may affect patient safety, equity of access, and workforce readiness. The significance is that it highlights the need for harmonized, evidence-informed credentialing and proficiency assessment systems for robotic surgery.
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 survey study mapped cardiology training and credentialing pathways across the Asia-Pacific region using a 42-item online questionnaire completed by credentialed cardiologists representing 23 regions. The key finding is that while all regions require specialist qualification to practise cardiology, most have a single training pathway (69.6%), with substantial minority variation (21.7% and 8.7% reporting other pathway patterns). The significance is that it identifies regional training heterogeneity to inform development of more aligned cardiology curricula and credentialing strategies.
Cader FA, Lee WYS, Widodo WA et al. · Postgraduate medical journal · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Generated automatically on May 17, 2026. Covers PubMed articles published May 10, 2026 – May 17, 2026. Summaries are AI-generated; always consult the original publication for clinical or research decisions.