What's New in Cardiac MRI? — June 24, 2026
AI-summarised digest of 57 PubMed articles on Cardiac MRI published in the last 7 days.
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What’s New in Cardiac MRI?
June 24, 2026 · 57 articles · 15 research themes · covering June 17, 2026 – June 24, 2026
Overview
Across this week’s set of papers, a dominant theme is the expanding role of multimodal cardiovascular imaging—especially cardiac MRI—in both diagnosis and risk prediction. Multiple studies refine how we phenotype disease (e.g., probable viral vs immune-mediated myocarditis), quantify injury and remodeling (diffuse fibrosis, perfusion reserve, fibrosis–function integration, 4D flow metrics), and improve noninvasive stratification for outcomes such as MACE, heart failure progression, and sudden cardiac death. Imaging is also being pushed into “gray zones”: distinguishing adaptive vs pathological findings (e.g., LV non-compaction vs hypertrabeculation), interpreting amyloid scintigraphy grades, and optimizing T2* iron-remnant detection by spatial resolution.
A second major thread is immune- and drug-related cardiac toxicity, including both cancer immunotherapy and other therapies. Case reports and small series highlight potentially fatal inflammatory syndromes—ICI-associated pericarditis/myocarditis, talquetamab-induced myocarditis mimicking STEMI, and eosinophilic myocarditis during biologic transitions—while emphasizing early recognition patterns on imaging and the need for timely immunosuppression. Complementing this, reports of chemotherapy/targeted-therapy cardiotoxicity (e.g., fluoropyrimidine vasospasm/pericardial overlap; anthracycline plus FLT3 inhibition–associated myopericarditis) reinforce that treatment combinations can create distinct inflammatory or electrophysiologic hazards.
Finally, the digest shows a clear push toward standardization and scalability: European consensus statements for exercise stress imaging in athletes, structured pericardial care pathways, and multiple AI/ML efforts to reduce variability in cine CMR reporting and automate myocardial segmentation/strain across scanners. Together, these advances aim to make advanced diagnostics more consistent, reproducible, and actionable—whether the clinical context is sports screening, rare cardiomyopathies, congenital heart disease, or complex systemic illness.
Targeted immunotherapy for inflammatory cardiopulmonary disease
Benralizumab as a steroid-sparing rescue therapy in ANCA-negative eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis: real-world experience from three cases and review of the literature.
This study reported three real-world cases of ANCA-negative eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) with severe asthma and eosinophilia treated with benralizumab, an anti–IL-5 receptor monoclonal antibody, as steroid-sparing rescue therapy. Benralizumab induced rapid eosinophil depletion with improvement in EGPA manifestations and enabled glucocorticoid reduction in these patients. These findings support benralizumab as a potential targeted option for refractory or steroid-dependent ANCA-negative EGPA, warranting further prospective evaluation.
Sebastian A, Kosałka-Węgiel J, Puchala M et al. · Rheumatology international · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Immune-related adverse events (myocarditis/pericarditis) from cancer therapy
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated Myocarditis: A Retrospective Case Series.
This retrospective case series studied immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-associated myocarditis in five patients treated at Mayo Clinic Florida (2019–2024), focusing on cases occurring after anti–PD-1 therapy. It found myocarditis developed 5–30 days after starting anti–PD-1 treatment and cases were categorized as definite/probable/possible using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) findings and histopathology when available. Clinically, the report highlights the early timing and diagnostic role of CMR in recognizing and managing a potentially fatal irAE myocarditis complication of cancer immunotherapy.
Monsanto MA, Schneider A, Chirila RM et al. · Romanian journal of internal medicine = Revue roumaine de medecine interne · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
A rare case of fulminant talquetamab-induced myocarditis presenting as a STEMI mimicker.
This case report studied fulminant talquetamab-induced myocarditis presenting as a STEMI mimicker in a 69-year-old man with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. After initiation of talquetamab—a bispecific T-cell engager targeting CD3 and GPRC5D—he developed steroid-refractory myocarditis with presentation consistent with acute coronary syndrome. The report is clinically important because it highlights a potentially fatal immune-mediated cardiac toxicity from a non-checkpoint immunotherapy that can mimic myocardial infarction.
Kim EJ, Saravia SD, Sahni G · Cardio-oncology (London, England) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Chest Pain With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: Harnessing the Power of Multimodality Imaging.
This case report studied immune checkpoint inhibitor–associated pericarditis in a 53-year-old woman with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma receiving pembrolizumab. Serial chest computed tomography showed progressive pericardial thickening in the setting of elevated inflammatory markers, with multimodality evaluation supporting a cardiovascular immune-related adverse event rather than pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, or malignancy. Recognizing this imaging pattern is clinically important because early diagnosis of ICI-related pericarditis can guide timely immunosuppression and prevent progression to more severe cardiac complications.
Roy R, Liu L, Li H et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Eosinophilic/immune-mediated myocarditis and EGPA
Fulminant Eosinophilic Myocarditis After Sequential Biologic Therapy in Ulcerative Colitis.
This case report studied fulminant eosinophilic myocarditis in a 35-year-old man with ulcerative colitis who developed hypereosinophilia after sequential biologic therapy, most recently vedolizumab, and corticosteroid withdrawal. The patient rapidly progressed to cardiogenic shock with severe biventricular dysfunction (LVEF 10%), diffuse myocardial involvement on cardiac magnetic resonance, and confirmation of eosinophilic myocarditis on endomyocardial biopsy. The findings highlight a high-risk immune-mediated cardiac complication in inflammatory bowel disease patients undergoing biologic transitions and steroid tapering.
Lee J, Kim D, Hong D et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Drug- and treatment-related cardiotoxicity (chemo/biologics)
Myopericarditis After Combined Idarubicin and Quizartinib in FLT3-ITD-Positive AML.
This JACC Case Reports report described a 64-year-old man with FLT3-ITD–positive acute myelogenous leukemia who developed myopericarditis after sequential cytarabine plus idarubicin followed by quizartinib (a FLT3 inhibitor). After quizartinib, he developed fever, hypotension, troponin I elevation, and diffuse ST-segment elevation, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed late gadolinium enhancement consistent with myopericarditis. The case highlights a potentially serious cardiotoxic inflammatory complication when combining anthracycline exposure with FLT3 inhibition, informing monitoring and risk management in AML treatment.
Spahr ZR, Vasquez MA, Tangella A et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Fluoropyrimidine Cardiotoxicity With Overlapping Vasospastic and Pericardial Features: A Diagnostic Challenge.
This case report described a 57-year-old man with HER2-positive gastric cancer who developed fluoropyrimidine cardiotoxicity during a 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) infusion as part of FOLFOX-6M plus trastuzumab. He had severe chest pain with ECG changes including marked QTc prolongation and later concave ST-segment elevation, with a diagnostic pattern overlapping coronary vasospasm and inflammatory pericardial features despite initially negative biomarkers and normal echocardiography/coronary CT angiography. The report underscores the diagnostic challenge of fluoropyrimidine-induced cardiotoxicity and supports early recognition of mixed vasospastic–pericardial presentations.
Viñas-Mendieta AE, Valencia-Hernandez HA, Ruiz-Mori E et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac imaging for myocarditis phenotyping and diagnosis
Long-term CMR Findings in Pediatric COVID-19 Related Myocarditis.
This retrospective pediatric study evaluated long-term cardiac MRI (CMR) findings in 21 children with suspected COVID-19–related myocarditis, including MIS-C, across early (<30 days), mid (30–364 days), and long-term (≥365 days) follow-up. Using the 2009 Lake Louise criteria to define myocarditis, the study characterized how CMR abnormalities persisted or resolved over time after the acute illness. The significance lies in informing clinicians about the expected trajectory of myocarditis-related CMR abnormalities in children after COVID-19 and MIS-C.
Vasquez Choy AL, Adebo DA, Patel MD et al. · Pediatric cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Clinical and Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Phenotype of Probable Viral versus Probable Immune-mediated Acute Myocarditis.
This study compared clinically defined probable viral myocarditis (pVM) versus probable immune-mediated myocarditis (pIM) in patients referred for cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) at two tertiary centers. The key finding was that pVM and pIM differed in CMR phenotype and prognosis, supporting CMR as a noninvasive discriminator when endomyocardial biopsy is not routinely performed. Clinically, this helps stratify patients for appropriate management pathways (antiviral/immune-directed strategies) and risk monitoring.
Bernhard B, Fabian E, Stoyanov K et al. · European journal of heart failure · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac MRI/CT imaging biomarkers for cardiomyopathy risk stratification
The importance of spatial resolution in detecting chronic myocardial iron remnants following hemorrhagic myocardial infarction with T2* MRI.
This study quantified how MRI spatial resolution affects detection of chronic myocardial iron remnants after hemorrhagic myocardial infarction (hMI) using T2* cardiac MRI, combining digital phantom simulations and ex-vivo swine heart imaging (n=10) at multiple voxel sizes and slice thicknesses. The key finding was that detection performance for chronic iron deposits depended strongly on spatial resolution, with coarser resolution reducing sensitivity/visibility of iron remnants under varying signal-to-noise conditions. Scientifically, it provides practical imaging guidance for optimizing T2* cardiac MRI protocols to reliably identify chronic hemorrhage-related iron in hMI.
Zhang X, Yang HJ, Dharmakumar R · Biomedical physics & engineering express · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Standardized MRI-Based Quantification of Epicardial Adipose Tissue Volume: Reproducibility and Agreement With Cardiac Computed Tomography.
This retrospective study evaluated a standardized MRI-based method to quantify epicardial adipose tissue volume (EATV) and tested its reproducibility and agreement with cardiac computed tomography (CT) in 127 patients with aortic stenosis (AS) plus 11 volunteers. The key finding was that the standardized MRI EATV quantification showed good reproducibility and acceptable agreement with CT measurements. Clinically, it supports MRI as a radiation-free alternative for EATV assessment that can be integrated with cardiac function and tissue evaluation in cardiometabolic risk stratification.
Gronwald J, Gersch SS, Böttiger Z et al. · Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Multiomics Insights Into the Role of Spondin-1 in the Pathogenesis and Prognosis of Atrial Fibrillation.
This multiomics study used integrative genetic approaches—Mendelian randomization and colocalization of plasma protein quantitative trait loci (pQTL) and atrial expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) with atrial fibrillation (AF) genome-wide association studies—to identify molecular drivers of AF. The key finding was that SPON1 (spondin-1) emerged as a priority candidate and was further supported by single-nucleus RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and experimental validation as relevant to AF pathogenesis and prognosis. This is significant because it nominates SPON1 as a potential therapeutic target and biomarker pathway in AF.
Long X, Zhang Y, Gao X et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Long-term Prognostic Value of Stress Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in Patients with Hypertension without known coronary artery disease.
This cohort study evaluated the long-term prognostic value of vasodilator stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with hypertension but no known coronary artery disease (CAD). Over follow-up for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), stress CMR parameters were associated with subsequent cardiovascular mortality and non-fatal myocardial infarction, supporting risk prediction beyond baseline clinical status. Scientifically and clinically, the findings support stress perfusion CMR as a useful non-invasive tool for long-term CAD risk stratification in hypertensive patients without known CAD.
Houssany-Pissot S, Garot J, Duhamel S et al. · European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Prognostic Value of Coronary Sinus Flow and Aortic Pressure Gradient Quantified by 4D Flow CMR in AMI.
This retrospective study investigated prognostic value in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients of coronary sinus flow (CS Flow) and aortic valve pressure gradients quantified by 4D flow CMR. In 103 AMI patients undergoing CMR before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), higher-risk 4D flow CMR-derived measures were associated with a composite endpoint including all-cause death, unplanned revascularization, recurrent MI, heart-failure rehospitalization, and stroke. Clinically, it suggests that 4D flow CMR metrics may improve post-AMI risk stratification beyond conventional imaging.
Li Y, Wang S, Li G et al. · Academic radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Spindle Cell Cardiac Lipoma in an Adolescent: A Case Report and Systematic Review of Cases.
This case report and systematic review studied spindle cell cardiac lipoma in a 13-year-old male presenting with a cardiac murmur and intracardiac masses involving the aortic valve, interventricular septum, and posterior left ventricular wall. Imaging with transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac MRI demonstrated a lobulated mass arising from the left coronary cusp with extension into the left ventricular outflow tract, and the report summarizes diagnostic and management considerations for this rare entity. The clinical significance is heightened awareness that spindle cell lipoma, though typically subcutaneous, can present as a cardiac mass causing valvular dysfunction in adolescents.
Soh SL, Wee IJY, Murray Binti Jeffery Murray RL et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Left ventricular non-compaction in heart failure: contemporary perspective on diagnostic challenges and treatment opportunities.
This contemporary perspective review examined diagnostic challenges and treatment opportunities for left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) in the setting of heart failure, emphasizing overlap with left ventricular hypertrabeculation (LVHT) in healthy and adaptive states. The key message is that distinguishing adaptive trabeculation from true cardiomyopathic LVNC is critical because misclassification can lead to unnecessary interventions or missed identification of high-risk patients. Scientifically and clinically, the article synthesizes current evidence on imaging criteria, pathophysiology, and genetic background to improve diagnostic accuracy and management decisions in HF patients.
Geavlete O, Tschöpe C, Angermann CE et al. · Heart failure reviews · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Myocardial fibrosis is associated with worse left ventricular strain and synchrony assessed by novel CMR imaging in the general population: data from the Akershus Cardiac examination 1950 study.
This cross-sectional analysis from the Akershus Cardiac Examination 1950 study investigated how myocardial fibrosis relates to left ventricular (LV) strain and mechanical synchrony in 200 elderly participants without known coronary artery disease. Diffuse fibrosis quantified by septal extracellular volume (ECV) and focal fibrosis assessed by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) were associated with worse LV deformation and altered synchrony measured with CMR-feature tracking (CMR-FT) and fast strain-encoded MR (fSENC). These findings are clinically important because they link CMR-detected fibrosis to functional impairment even in a general population, supporting CMR as a tool for early risk stratification.
Wimalanathan T, Sulkowska J, Melles AW et al. · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Incremental Prognostic Impact of Quantitative Perfusion CMR and T1 Mapping in Patients with Heart Failure.
This prospective cohort study assessed the incremental prognostic value of combining quantitative perfusion CMR with T1 mapping–derived diffuse fibrosis in patients with heart failure. The key finding is that stress/rest myocardial blood flow metrics (including perfusion reserve) together with CMR measures of diffuse fibrosis provided additional prognostic information beyond either component alone. Clinically, this supports using combined perfusion and fibrosis CMR biomarkers to better predict outcomes in HF patients.
Takafuji M, Sia CH, Anderton T et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Diffusion tensor cardiovascular magnetic resonance differentiates pediatric dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathies.
This study evaluated whether diffusion tensor cardiovascular magnetic resonance (DTI) can differentiate pediatric dilated versus hypertrophic cardiomyopathies using quantitative diffusion metrics. The key finding was that DTI-derived apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) provided discriminatory microstructural information beyond conventional CMR functional and tissue characterization. This is scientifically and clinically important because it suggests a noninvasive imaging biomarker for improving diagnosis and phenotyping in pediatric cardiomyopathy.
Juárez JT, Tobón SH, Patrón Chi SA et al. · European journal of radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Multimodality imaging characterization of Perugini scintigraphic grades in transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy: a single-center experience.
This single-center retrospective study examined multimodality imaging characteristics across Perugini scintigraphic grades in patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) undergoing technetium-99m pyrophosphate (99mTc-PYP) scintigraphy. The key finding was that Perugini grades 2 versus 3 showed differences in diagnostic yield and clinical/imaging phenotypes, indicating that these “diagnostic” categories may not be equivalent. This matters because refining interpretation of Perugini grade could improve risk assessment and patient stratification in noninvasive ATTR-CM diagnosis.
Bucius P, Zarambaite E, Lusaite K et al. · Journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Giant Postischemic Left Ventricular Aneurysm Without Q Waves: Multimodality Imaging-Guided Surgery.
This case report described a 55-year-old woman with inferolateral myocardial infarction who developed a giant postischemic left ventricular aneurysm without pathological Q waves, despite no Q waves on serial ECGs. Multimodality imaging demonstrated progressive left ventricular remodeling with aneurysmal evolution and mural thrombus formation, guiding successful surgery. The case shows that absence of Q waves can delay diagnosis of nonanterior aneurysms and supports imaging-guided management when clinical and enzymatic findings suggest evolving mechanical complications.
Gaido L, Attisani M, Scalini F et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI/AI for quantification, segmentation, and reporting standardization
Hierarchical Semantic Concept Modeling for Generalizable Myocardial Pathology Segmentation on Multisequence CMR Images.
This paper developed and evaluated HSCM-Net, a hierarchical semantic concept modeling deep learning framework for generalizable myocardial pathology segmentation on multisequence CMR images. The key finding was that explicitly modeling hierarchical semantic concepts and integrating multisequence information improved robustness to cross-domain distribution shifts, yielding better segmentation of myocardial scar and edema on unseen data. This is significant because more generalizable CMR-based myocardial pathology segmentation can improve quantification of myocardial infarction severity across different imaging domains.
Dong J, Li L, Huang L et al. · IEEE transactions on neural networks and learning systems · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Parameter-efficient adaptation of foundational models for automated myocardial strain analysis.
The study investigated parameter-efficient adaptation of foundational deep learning models for automated myocardial strain analysis in cross-domain cardiac imaging, using the Segment Anything Model (SAM) fine-tuned with Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) for cardiac structure segmentation and uniGradICON for myocardial motion estimation. CardiacSAM enabled robust cross-scanner/institution myocardial segmentation and strain estimation with minimal adaptation data, improving generalization when applied to images from different scanners. This supports more reliable, scalable automated strain quantification for clinical cardiac MRI/echo workflows where dataset shift is a major barrier.
Bernardo A, Mato G, Calandrelli M et al. · Biomedical physics & engineering express · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
CineScribe: LLM-based detection and mitigation of ambiguity in cine cardiac magnetic resonance reports.
This study developed CineScribe, an LLM-based system trained on expert-annotated cine cardiac MRI (cineCMR) free-text reports to detect and mitigate ambiguity by converting reports into structured regional wall-motion abnormality (RWMA) representations. CineScribe achieved strong performance on report structuring (macro-F1 0.92, 95% CI 0.89–0.94), enabling standardized generation of diagnostic findings from validated inputs. This is significant because it can reduce inter-reader variability and miscommunication in cineCMR interpretation, improving consistency of clinical reporting.
Villanueva Benito G, Descalzo ML, Pujadas S et al. · Computers in biology and medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Pericardial disease pathways and management
Pathway for the Diagnosis and Management of Pericardial Disease: Contemporary Perspective.
This contemporary perspective studied diagnostic and management pathways for the spectrum of pericardial disease (acute pericarditis, pericardial effusion, tamponade, effusive-constrictive pericarditis, and constrictive pericarditis). It found that organizing care into five key clinical scenarios improves implementation of modern multimodal imaging and targeted immunomodulatory therapies recommended by ESC and ACC guidelines. Clinically, the pathway framework aims to standardize urgent triage and treatment decisions across heterogeneous pericardial presentations.
Sivalokanathan S, Herzog E, Haider SW et al. · Critical pathways in cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
ECMO-Supported Pericardiectomy in Constrictive Tuberculous Pericarditis With Severe Ventricular Dysfunction.
This JACC Case Reports report described ECMO-supported radical pericardiectomy in a 20-year-old man with constrictive tuberculous pericarditis complicated by severe biventricular systolic dysfunction (LVEF <15%). After deterioration despite empirical antituberculosis therapy and optimal heart failure management, the patient underwent pericardiectomy with postoperative cardiogenic shock managed using veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The clinical significance is that it documents a potential rescue strategy—ECMO support—to enable definitive surgery in rare cases where tuberculous constrictive pericarditis presents with profound ventricular failure.
Elmorshidy M, Helal A, El-Din M et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death risk (including ICD/idiopathic VF)
[Incremental value of CMR for the 2025 appropriate use criteria of ICD implantation in sudden cardiac death risk stratification of dilated cardiomyopathy].
This single-center retrospective study evaluated whether the 2025 ACC/AHA appropriate use criteria (AUV) for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation predicts sudden cardiac death (SCD) in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and T1 mapping at Fuwai Hospital (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences). The key finding was that adding CMR tissue characterization (LGE and T1 mapping) provided incremental value beyond the 2025 AUV framework for SCD risk stratification in DCM. This supports using standardized CMR tissue metrics to refine ICD candidacy decisions for SCD prevention in DCM patients.
Zhou D, Wang LL, Lian XQ et al. · Zhonghua xin xue guan bing za zhi · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Right Side Accessory Pathway Mediated Cardiomyopathy Treated with Amiodarone: First Adult Case Report.
This first adult case report studied a right-sided accessory pathway–mediated cardiomyopathy in a 44-year-old man with Wolff-Parkinson-White. It found that amiodarone produced complete pharmacologic reversal of the preexcitation-related cardiomyopathy, despite the usual standard of catheter ablation for accessory pathways. Clinically, the case suggests that in selected adult patients, antiarrhythmic pharmacologic therapy may be a reversible alternative when ablation is not immediately feasible.
Costa A, Laxina I, Hakim F et al. · American journal of therapeutics · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Pectus Excavatum-Induced Preload Insufficiency Presenting as Long-Standing Sinus Tachycardia.
This JACC Case Reports article described an adult case where severe pectus excavatum caused preload insufficiency presenting as long-standing sinus tachycardia. In a 65-year-old woman with persistent sinus tachycardia despite high-dose beta-blockade, right heart catheterization showed very low filling pressures and cardiovascular magnetic resonance demonstrated anterior cardiac compression with a Haller index of 8.1. The clinical significance is that it highlights pectus excavatum as a reversible hemodynamic cause of unexplained tachycardia and supports CMR and hemodynamic assessment in diagnosis.
Alkhatib R, Zghyer F, Hatab T et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Occult Idiopathic Ventricular Fibrillation After Preoperative Cardiovascular Evaluation.
This case report studied an episode of occult idiopathic ventricular fibrillation in a 50-year-old man occurring about 1 hour after preoperative cardiovascular clearance for elective surgery. Despite comprehensive evaluation—including coronary angiography, cardiac magnetic resonance, electrophysiological study, and genetic testing—no structural heart disease or inherited arrhythmia syndrome was identified, and he was successfully resuscitated and treated with a dual-chamber implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. The report underscores that life-threatening arrhythmias can present without detectable substrate even after preoperative workup, supporting consideration of ICD therapy when idiopathic VF recurs or is high-risk.
Ganthan RR, Isber R, Elcicek A et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Sudden Death in Young Competitive Athletes Due to Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy: A 4-Decade National Referral Center Experience.
This registry-based study examined competitive athletes (≤40 years) who died suddenly due to arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) in a North-East Italy juvenile sudden death referral center from 1985–2024, assessing how diagnostic criteria changes (1994 and 2010) affected prevalence and characteristics. ACM accounted for 29% of sudden cardiac deaths in athletes, with clinical and pathology features analyzed according to guidelines. The results emphasize the importance of ACM recognition in preparticipation screening and refine expectations for ACM detection in young athletes.
De Gaspari M, Pilichou K, Zorzi A et al. · Circulation. Arrhythmia and electrophysiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Congenital heart disease and pediatric cardiovascular imaging/anesthesia safety
Pathophysiologic Consequences of Early Coarctation Stenting in a Longitudinal Porcine Model.
This study examined longitudinal pathophysiologic consequences of early coarctation of the aorta (COA) stenting in a porcine model, comparing sham, COA controls, and COA stents with surgical COA induction at 2 weeks followed by stent implantation at 6 weeks and serial dilations at 12 and 20 weeks. Early stent implantation produced distinct cardiovascular remodeling over time versus COA controls, indicating that early intervention alters mid-to-late vascular and hemodynamic outcomes. The findings are clinically relevant for optimizing timing and expected long-term effects of stent strategies in pediatric COA.
Gober LM, Stellon MA, Culver MA et al. · Catheterization and cardiovascular interventions : official journal of the Society for Cardiac Angiography & Interventions · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Intraoperative Cardiac Events During Pediatric Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Under Anesthesia: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
This single-center retrospective cohort study evaluated the incidence and predictors of intraoperative cardiovascular instability in children (≤18 years) with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac MRI under anesthesia from 2013–2025. Using a recently proposed composite framework for intraoperative cardiovascular instability, the study quantified how often cardiac events occurred during these non-surgical but physiologically vulnerable imaging procedures and identified associated predictors. The results are significant for pediatric anesthesia and CHD care because they help define risk and inform monitoring strategies during anesthetized cardiac MRI.
Wingert T, Liang J, Feldman K et al. · Paediatric anaesthesia · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Valvular/RVOT interventions and structural heart procedures
Prospective Midterm Outcomes of the PULSTA Self-Expandable Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve: The PULSTA CE Approval Study.
This prospective multicenter premarket study evaluated the midterm safety, hemodynamic performance, and durability of the PULSTA self-expanding transcatheter pulmonary valve (PULSTA Carpentier Edwards) in 58 patients with congenital or surgically repaired right ventricular outflow tract dysfunction. The key findings (as reported in the trial’s midterm outcomes) support acceptable procedural success with favorable hemodynamics and durability through the midterm follow-up period. These results are significant because a self-expanding transcatheter option may reduce repeated surgical pulmonary valve replacements in patients with diverse RVOT anatomies.
Lee SY, Kim GB, Carminati M et al. · Circulation. Cardiovascular interventions · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac gene therapy and rare genetic cardiomyopathies
AAVrh.10hFXN Gene Therapy for the Cardiomyopathy of Friedreich Ataxia: A Nonrandomized Clinical Trial.
This nonrandomized clinical trial studied safety and preliminary efficacy of AAVrh.10hFXN gene therapy in adults with Friedreich ataxia cardiomyopathy caused by pathogenic frataxin (FXN) variants. The key finding was that systemic administration of the rh.10 serotype adeno-associated virus vector delivering the normal human FXN coding sequence was feasible and showed preliminary evidence of therapeutic benefit while assessing safety outcomes. This is clinically significant because it represents a targeted gene replacement strategy aimed at slowing or reversing progressive FXN-deficient cardiomyopathy.
Crystal RG, Weinsaft JW, Kaminsky SM et al. · JAMA cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Systemic diseases with cardiac involvement (SSc, CKD, Fabry, amyloid, CAV)
Pre-heart failure in early chronic kidney disease: clinical epidemiology and treatment.
This review studied the epidemiology and treatment implications of “pre-heart failure” in early chronic kidney disease (CKD), focusing on CKD stages G1–G3 and especially albuminuria (KDIGO A2–A3). It found that even mild CKD—particularly with albuminuria—correlates with subclinical cardiac abnormalities such as left ventricular hypertrophy, concentric remodeling, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and arrhythmias. Scientifically and clinically, the article supports earlier cardiovascular surveillance and earlier intervention strategies in CKD patients before overt heart failure develops.
Zoccali C, De Caterina R, Tuttle KR et al. · European heart journal · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗
Heart involvements in systemic sclerosis beyond pulmonary hypertension: From conduction, rhythm and function defects to coronary artery disease.
This narrative review studied cardiac involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc) beyond pulmonary hypertension, covering conduction, rhythm, and functional defects through coronary artery disease. It found that while clinically manifest cardiac disease occurs in about 15–35% of SSc patients, advanced screening detects subclinical dysfunction in roughly 70%, with mechanisms including myocardial fibrosis, coronary microvascular dysfunction, arrhythmias, conduction disorders, pericardial/valvular disease, and heart failure. Scientifically and clinically, the review emphasizes the need for systematic cardiac screening and recognition of non–pulmonary hypertension causes of morbidity and mortality in SSc.
Barile R, Rotondo C, Giancaspro G et al. · La Revue de medecine interne · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Brain Cortex Thinning in Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy - Associations With Myocardial Fibrosis and Cognitive Impairment.
This study assessed brain cortex thinning in patients with cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) using MRI and tested associations with myocardial fibrosis and cognitive impairment in heart-transplant recipients. Compared with CAV-negative transplant patients and healthy controls, the CAV group showed significant cortical thinning in specific regions (e.g., bilateral superior frontal gyrus, left angular gyrus, left supramarginal gyrus) and these structural changes were linked to myocardial fibrosis and cognitive outcomes via mediation analyses. The findings support a brain–heart axis in CAV and suggest that CMR-derived myocardial injury may help predict cognitive decline risk.
Qin Q, Zhu D, Zheng N et al. · Circulation journal : official journal of the Japanese Circulation Society · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Primary heart involvement assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance is associated with capillaroscopy abnormalities in systemic sclerosis.
This cross-sectional study investigated whether primary heart involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc-HI) assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) after a cold stress protocol is associated with peripheral vasculopathy measured by nailfold capillaroscopy. Among 40 SSc patients, CMR-derived morphology, function, and strain measures of SSc-HI were related to capillaroscopy abnormalities, linking cardiac microvascular/inflammatory/fibrotic signatures to systemic microvascular disease. The findings support CMR as a noninvasive tool to reflect broader vasculopathic burden in systemic sclerosis.
Martins L, Uellendahl M, Ferreira G et al. · Advances in rheumatology (London, England) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Multimodal phenotypic clustering predicts cardiac outcomes in Fabry disease.
This study developed and tested multimodal phenotypic clustering to predict cardiac outcomes in Fabry disease using integrated sex, genetics (classic mutations), clinical assessments, ECG, imaging, and biomarkers across 98 participants (525 visit years). The key finding was that the multimodal framework could stratify patients into phenotypic groups with different risks for adverse cardiovascular outcomes. This is significant because it provides a clinically comprehensive, data-driven approach to forecasting cardiac progression in a rare lysosomal storage disorder.
Shemesh E, Feigin P, Tan CY et al. · Orphanet journal of rare diseases · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Phenotype, genotype and prognosis of Apical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathies: A French multicentric cohort.
This French multicenter cohort study compared phenotype, genotype, and prognosis of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (ApHCM) versus non-apical HCM in 201 ApHCM patients after excluding Fabry disease and amyloidosis. The key finding was that ApHCM has distinct clinical/genetic features and a different prognosis compared with non-apical HCM, supported by echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance, genetic testing, and longitudinal follow-up. These results are important for counseling, surveillance intensity, and tailoring management based on apical-specific disease biology.
Martel H, Lucas C, Benjelloun H et al. · European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Rapid Onset of Iron Overload Cardiomyopathy in Cirrhosis.
This report described two patients with cirrhosis who developed rapid-onset iron overload cardiomyopathy (IOC) without hereditary hemochromatosis or transfusion-dependent anemia. Both patients progressed to severe cardiomyopathy with markedly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction over a short interval, illustrating that iron accumulation in cirrhosis can translate into clinically significant cardiac iron overload. The findings raise awareness that IOC should be considered in cirrhosis patients with rapidly worsening heart failure, potentially prompting earlier iron assessment and targeted management.
Nouraee CM, Swain WH, Harmon DM et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Exercise stress imaging and sports cardiology screening/consensus
Indications, protocols, and interpretation of cardiovascular imaging for the evaluation and management of athletes: a clinical consensus statement of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), Part 2: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance, cardiac CT, and nuclear imaging.
This European Society of Cardiology (ESC) consensus statement (EAPC/EACVI Part 2) reviewed how to use cardiovascular imaging—cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), cardiac CT, and nuclear imaging—for evaluating and managing athletes with suspected cardiac substrates linked to exercise-related adverse events. The key finding was that a multimodality imaging strategy can distinguish physiological athlete remodeling from pathological disease by leveraging each modality’s complementary strengths (structure/function, coronary anatomy, and tissue characterization). Scientifically and clinically, it provides standardized indications, protocols, and interpretation guidance to improve risk assessment and decision-making in sports cardiology.
Maestrini V, Gati S, D’Ascenzi F et al. · European journal of preventive cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Indications, protocols, and interpretation of cardiovascular imaging for the evaluation and management of athletes. A Clinical Consensus Statement of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Part 2-Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, Cardiac CT and Nuclear Imaging.
This ESC joint clinical consensus statement (EAPC/EACVI) summarized indications, protocols, and interpretation for cardiovascular imaging in athletes, focusing on CMR, cardiac CT, and nuclear imaging. The key finding was that combining modalities improves identification of pathological cardiac findings that increase risk of exercise-related adverse events while avoiding overdiagnosis of normal physiological remodeling. This is significant because it standardizes advanced imaging workflows for safer participation and better management of athletes with potential cardiac disease.
Maestrini V, Gati S, D’Ascenzi F et al. · European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging · (2026) · 2 citations · View on PubMed ↗
Indications, protocols, and interpretation of cardiovascular imaging for the evaluation and management of athletes: a clinical consensus statement of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) of the ESC: Part 1-Exercise imaging.
This European consensus statement studied how to use exercise cardiovascular imaging—especially exercise stress echocardiography (ESE)—to evaluate and manage cardiovascular risk in athletes (competitive and recreational). It found that ESE should be applied with standardized indications, protocols, and interpretation to assess cardiac reserve, unmask concealed cardiomyopathies, and improve risk stratification. Clinically, the guidance supports more consistent, non-invasive screening and decision-making for athletes with suspected pathology versus normal training-related adaptations.
D’Ascenzi F, Sanz-de la Garza M, Maestrini V et al. · European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Indications, protocols, and interpretation of cardiovascular imaging for the evaluation and management of athletes: a clinical consensus statement of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) of the ESC: Part 1-Exercise imaging.
This European consensus statement studied how to use exercise cardiovascular imaging—especially exercise stress echocardiography (ESE)—to evaluate and manage cardiovascular risk in athletes (competitive and recreational). It found that ESE should be applied with standardized indications, protocols, and interpretation to assess cardiac reserve, unmask concealed cardiomyopathies, and improve risk stratification. Clinically, the guidance supports more consistent, non-invasive screening and decision-making for athletes with suspected pathology versus normal training-related adaptations.
D’Ascenzi F, Sanz-de la Garza M, Maestrini V et al. · European journal of preventive cardiology · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗
Non-cardiac biomedical research (oncology mechanisms, neuropathy, materials, fetal imaging, surgery)
A forgotten cause of chest pain in the United States: a case report on acute rheumatic fever.
This case report described a young man in the United States with acute rheumatic fever (ARF) presenting as a “forgotten” cause of chest pain after an untreated Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infection. The key finding was that applying the revised Jones criteria with serologic evidence of GAS infection and pursuing appropriate cardiac evaluation clarified the diagnosis despite ARF being rare in the US. Clinically, it highlights the need to consider ARF in chest-pain presentations and to interpret GAS serology and cardiac imaging in suspected cases.
Miller JA, Kim R, Kadiyala M et al. · Journal of medical case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Diagnostic accuracy of fetal cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in cardiac and thoracic vascular anomalies: a meta-analysis.
This meta-analysis assessed the diagnostic accuracy of fetal cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (FCMRI) for detecting cardiac and thoracic vascular anomalies in fetuses, across observational studies where fetal echocardiography (FE) was limited. The key finding was that FCMRI can improve detection of complex cardiac and thoracic vascular anomalies compared with reliance on FE alone, particularly in challenging scenarios such as late gestation or poor acoustic windows. Scientifically and clinically, it supports incorporating FCMRI into prenatal diagnostic pathways to inform prenatal decision-making when FE is insufficient.
Bhargavi C, Shenoy RD, Rassaf A et al. · BMC medical imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Influence of Sb-doping on structural, optical and UV photodetector properties of CdS thin films.
This experimental study investigated how antimony (Sb) doping affects the structural, optical, and ultraviolet (UV) photodetector properties of cadmium sulfide (CdS) thin films fabricated by nebulizer spray pyrolysis (NSP) on glass substrates. The key finding was that 2 wt% Sb-doped CdS produced the highest crystallinity (hexagonal phase by XRD) and improved morphology (larger, densely packed grains by FESEM), leading to enhanced UV photodetection performance. This is significant for developing higher-performance, UV-sensitive CdS-based photodetectors via controlled Sb doping.
Murahari P, Alagarasan D, Hegde SS et al. · Scientific reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Single-Port Robotic Transanal Minimally Invasive Surgery for Rectal Cancer: A Novel Approach With FishBowl-Early Case Series.
This early case series studied single-port robotic transanal minimally invasive surgery (SP-TAMIS) for rectal cancer using the Da Vinci SP platform. It found feasibility for robotic single-port access in the confined pelvis, with the approach positioned to support organ-preservation strategies after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (including complete or major clinical response) while addressing limitations of conventional TAMIS. Clinically, the report suggests SP-TAMIS may expand minimally invasive options for selected rectal cancer patients, though broader adoption may be limited by docking constraints.
Mellano A, Pellegrino L, Salomone S et al. · Surgical laparoscopy, endoscopy & percutaneous techniques · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Microvascular dysfunction and neurovascular signalling impairment in diabetic silent myocardial ischemia.
This review studied the mechanisms underlying diabetic silent myocardial ischemia (DSMI) in the context of diabetic microvascular dysfunction and neurovascular signaling impairment. It found that chronic hyperglycemia-driven oxidative stress, advanced glycation end-product (AGE) accumulation, and mitochondrial dysfunction reduce nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and impair capillary integrity, while diabetic peripheral/autonomic neuropathy disrupts nociceptive signaling. These mechanistic links help explain DSMI’s symptom-free presentation and identify targets for preventing or treating microvascular and neurovascular dysfunction in diabetes.
Rajasekaran HK · Microvascular research · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Protective effect of coumarin on diabetes-induced sciatic nerve damage in rats via TRPV1 modulation.
This rat study investigated whether coumarin protects against diabetes-induced sciatic nerve damage by modulating the TRPV1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid 1) signaling pathway. In Wistar rats rendered diabetic with streptozotocin (45 mg/kg i.p.) and treated with coumarin (100 mg/kg/day orally) for 14 days, coumarin reduced neurotoxic effects associated with diabetes and altered TRPV1-related signaling. The results suggest coumarin/TRPV1 modulation as a potential therapeutic strategy to mitigate diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Yıldızhan K, Altındağ F, Bayir MH et al. · Experimental neurology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Architecture and function of holocentric CENP-A-independent inner kinetochores.
This study investigated the architecture and function of holocentric, CENP-A-independent inner kinetochores in the silkmoth Bombyx mori, which lacks the canonical centromere-specifying histone variant CENP-A. It found that the Bombyx mori inner kinetochore constitutive centromere-associated network (CCAN) contains four previously uncharacterized centromeric subunit proteins structurally related to the Dam1/DASH complex and that these proteins scaffold the kinetochore in a CENP-A-independent manner. This is significant for understanding how chromosome segregation is achieved across species with fundamentally different centromere organization (holocentric vs monocentric).
Yu C, Sankaranarayanan SR, Cornilleau G et al. · Science advances · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Outcomes in laparoscopic versus robotic-assisted surgery for median arcuate ligament syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
This systematic review and meta-analysis compared perioperative and postoperative outcomes of robotic median arcuate ligament release (RMALR) versus laparoscopic median arcuate ligament release (LMALR) in adult patients with median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS). The authors report comparative outcomes across included studies, focusing on measures such as conversion and postoperative results, to determine whether one minimally invasive approach performs better than the other. Clinically, the findings aim to guide surgical approach selection for MALS, a rare cause of postprandial abdominal pain due to coeliac artery compression by the median arcuate ligament.
Arabi Z, Geropoulos G, Jayawardena P et al. · Journal of robotic surgery · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
The Challenge of Differentiating Mixed Histiocytosis: A Case Report.
This case report described diagnostic difficulty in differentiating mixed histiocytosis, presenting a 69-year-old woman diagnosed over 7 years with both Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) and Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD). The key finding is that the patient’s multisystem course (including initial mastoid involvement and later pericardial disease) ultimately reflected overlapping histiocytic diagnoses rather than a single entity. The report is significant because it highlights the need for careful longitudinal evaluation and diagnostic workup when clinical and imaging features suggest more than one histiocytosis subtype.
Harris L, Arnolda R, Ogburn D et al. · Case reports in hematology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
L1CAM signaling through planar cell polarity drives SOX2 expression and lung adenocarcinoma metastasis.
This Nature Communications study investigated how L1CAM signaling through planar cell polarity regulates SOX2 expression and promotes metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). The authors identify L1CAM as a driver of emergence/maintenance of SOX2+ metastatic progenitors at the invasive front and in distant micrometastases, linking L1CAM to metastatic plasticity via SOX2 upregulation. Scientifically, it provides a mechanistic pathway (L1CAM → planar cell polarity signaling → SOX2+) that could be targeted to limit metastatic progression in LUAD.
Park JS, Kaygusuz Y, Kenum C et al. · Nature communications · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Outcomes From the Multicenter ACCRU-LY-1804/CARiBOU TRIAL (Cytarabine, Acalabrutinib and Rituximab Integrated With Bortezomib-Based Outpatient Therapy) in 1st Line Mantle Cell Lymphoma.
This phase 2 multicenter ACCRU-LY-1804/CARiBOU trial studied previously untreated mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) patients receiving a multitargeted regimen combining alternating VR-CAP and R-cytarabine with continuous acalabrutinib, with rituximab integrated into the cycles. The primary endpoint was complete metabolic response (CMR) rate, with secondary outcomes including safety, feasibility of stem cell collection, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and rates proceeding to autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). If effective and tolerable, this outpatient-friendly, acalabrutinib-based chemoimmunotherapy strategy could improve first-line depth of response in MCL.
Smith SD, Sundaram S, Giri S et al. · American journal of hematology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Generated automatically on June 24, 2026. Covers PubMed articles published June 17, 2026 – June 24, 2026. Summaries are AI-generated; always consult the original publication for clinical or research decisions.