What's New in Cardiac MRI? — July 15, 2026
AI-summarised digest of 56 PubMed articles on Cardiac MRI published in the last 7 days.
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What’s New in Cardiac MRI?
July 15, 2026 · 56 articles · 15 research themes · covering July 08, 2026 – July 15, 2026
Overview
Across this week’s set of papers, cardiac MRI is repeatedly positioned as a unifying, noninvasive “one-stop” modality—able to combine functional assessment with tissue characterization—to improve diagnosis and risk prediction in ischemic disease, myocarditis/pericarditis, and cardiomyopathies. Several studies emphasize moving beyond single biomarkers or single imaging endpoints: for example, CMR-derived measures of infarct size and microvascular obstruction are being paired with emerging blood biomarkers (e.g., cMyC, renalase), while CMR tissue metrics (LGE fibrosis, ECV, mapping parameters) are increasingly integrated with clinical variables (sex, hypertension status, genotype, and EHR risk) to refine prognosis and guide management.
A second dominant theme is phenotype-aware and personalized interpretation. In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, sex-disaggregated imaging/biomarker differences, registry-derived natural history even in “mild” disease, and genotype-linked metabolic signatures all point toward more individualized risk stratification. In atrial fibrillation, standardizing how CMR atrial fibrosis is thresholded—and identifying CMR predictors of LVEF recovery after ablation—aim to make imaging more actionable for recurrence risk and patient selection. In Takotsubo syndrome, phase-dependent CMR characteristics highlight that timing from symptom onset matters for correct interpretation.
Finally, multiple contributions focus on making CMR more scalable and reliable: acquisition innovations (motion-guided phase selection, compressed-sensing cine, fetal cine protocols), automation to reduce labeling burden, and generative reconstruction frameworks to improve motion robustness. Together with AI-assisted reading concepts, these method papers suggest a field moving toward faster, more consistent CMR workflows—paired with telemedicine-style screening approaches—to bring CMR-derived phenotyping into broader clinical practice.
Cardiac MRI in Coronary Disease & Ischemia/Microvascular Dysfunction
Topical vascular organoid therapy promotes microvascular regeneration and functional recovery in porcine ischemic cardiomyopathy.
This experimental study tested a scaffold-free topical vascular organoid made of human endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and mesenchymal stem cell-derived smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in a porcine model of ischemic cardiomyopathy. Fourteen days after ischemia, EPC-SMC organoid transplantation onto the left ventricular surface preserved left ventricular ejection fraction and produced modest improvements in regional cardiac function versus controls on cardiac MRI. The results support a translational microvascular regenerative strategy beyond epicardial revascularization for ischemic heart disease.
Farag JA, Yajima S, Kawai Y et al. · Stem cell reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Molecular and imaging biomarkers in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury: from pathogenetic mechanisms to therapeutic targeting.
This narrative review synthesized evidence on biomarkers for myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) across mechanistic stages (minutes to weeks) and their links to therapeutic targeting. It highlights that while high-sensitivity cardiac troponins detect myocardial necrosis, they provide limited mechanistic insight into upstream MIRI processes such as infarct expansion, microvascular obstruction, intramyocardial hemorrhage, and adverse remodeling, motivating the search for additional imaging and molecular biomarkers. Clinically, improved biomarker panels could enable earlier diagnosis, better phenotyping, and more targeted evaluation of cardioprotective therapies in ischemic heart disease.
Nasoufidou A, Bantidos MG, Kofos C et al. · Expert review of cardiovascular therapy · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging assessment of Del Nido versus cold blood cardioplegia in patients with low ejection fraction undergoing combined coronary artery bypass graft and mitral valve replacement: Early outcomes.
This prospective single-center study compared Del Nido cardioplegia (DNC) versus conventional cold blood cardioplegia (CBC) in 42 patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF <45%) undergoing concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and mitral valve replacement (MVR), using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) to assess early myocardial functional recovery. The key finding was that CMR-based early functional recovery differed between DNC and CBC groups in this high-risk, low-LVEF population. If confirmed in larger trials, the results could inform cardioplegia selection to optimize early myocardial recovery after combined CABG/MVR.
Gode S, Polat M, Eroğlu Polat A et al. · Turk gogus kalp damar cerrahisi dergisi · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Antegrade dissection and re-entry versus retrograde strategy in chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention: Rationale and design of the ADRENALINE randomized study.
This article presents the rationale and design of the ADRENALINE randomized trial comparing antegrade dissection and re-entry (ADR) versus a retrograde strategy for chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The study plans to enroll 121 patients with difficult CTO lesions (J-CTO score ≥2) and uses a hybrid algorithm, randomizing after successful antegrade wiring to determine which strategy yields superior outcomes. If successful, ADRENALINE will provide comparative evidence to guide strategy selection in complex CTO PCI where current data are limited.
Opolski MP, Spiewak M, Machaj F et al. · American heart journal · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Performance of compressed-sensing cardiac accelerated cine MR in evaluating left ventricular function: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed whether compressed-sensing (CS) accelerated cine cardiac MRI provides consistent left ventricular (LV) functional characteristics compared with standard segmented cine (Std-cine) sequences using balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) readout. Across included studies where both CS-cine and Std-cine were performed in the same participants, the key LV characteristics were evaluated for agreement between acceleration methods. The results are important for validating CS cine as a faster alternative to standard cine in clinical LV function assessment.
Wang Z, Kong H, Zhou Z et al. · BMC medical imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Periprocedural 24-Hour Change in Renalase Adds Incremental Value for Early Risk Stratification of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance-Defined Microvascular Obstruction in Patients With ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Prospective Cohort Study.
This prospective cohort study examined whether the periprocedural change in renalase (Δ-renalase measured before and 24 hours after primary percutaneous coronary intervention) adds incremental value for early risk stratification of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR)-defined microvascular obstruction (MVO) in 266 ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction patients. Δ-renalase was tested as an independent predictor of MVO after PPCI, leveraging the postreperfusion renalase surge timing relative to MVO maturation. The findings are significant because they could enable earlier, blood-based risk stratification to complement CMR in acute MI management.
Chen Y, Li R, Fu R et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
[Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging: routine use in cardiology and unique strengths].
This article reviewed how cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is used in cardiology and highlighted its strengths in patient populations evaluated for coronary artery disease and inflammatory myocardial diseases. It emphasizes that CMR combines highly accurate functional assessment with non-invasive tissue characterization in a single examination, using stress perfusion CMR with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) for ischemia/viability and applying the Lake Louise criteria for inflammatory myocarditis. The clinical significance is that routine CMR can improve diagnostic accuracy for ischemic heart disease and myocarditis while reducing the need for multiple separate tests.
Schulz A, Reiter T · Innere Medizin (Heidelberg, Germany) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac myosin-binding protein C in ST-elevation myocardial infarction.
This study assessed cardiac myosin-binding protein C (cMyC) as a biomarker of myocardial injury in reperfused acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and compared it with hs-cTnI and CMR endpoints. It tested whether cMyC correlates with acute and final infarct size measured by LGE CMR and whether cMyC is associated with acute microvascular obstruction (MVO) on CMR. The significance is that if cMyC tracks infarct size and MVO more sensitively than troponins, it could enable earlier diagnosis and improved risk stratification in reperfused STEMI.
Rajakulasingam R, Alaour B, McGrath S et al. · European heart journal. Acute cardiovascular care · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI in Myocarditis & Inflammatory Cardiomyopathies
Post-viral myocarditis.
This narrative review examined mechanisms by which post-viral myocarditis leads to post-viral cardiomyopathy and subsequent heart failure, focusing on viral pathogens such as parvovirus B19, human herpesvirus 6, and enteroviruses. It highlights how complex histological, immunological, and molecular changes after viral infection can drive progression from acute myocarditis to chronic myocardial dysfunction and dilated cardiomyopathy phenotypes. The synthesis is clinically significant for informing risk-focused surveillance and mechanistically targeted therapies in patients after viral myocarditis.
Sokolski M, Zychla W, Wilk M et al. · Heart failure reviews · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Rapidly Progressive Myocarditis and Cardiogenic Shock: The Failing Heart in Systemic Sclerosis.
This JACC Case Reports study described a 49-year-old woman with diffuse systemic sclerosis (SSc) who developed rapidly progressive myocarditis with cardiogenic shock. Cardiac MRI demonstrated diffuse biventricular myocardial inflammation, and endomyocardial biopsy confirmed lymphocytic infiltration despite supportive therapies including inotropes and diuretics. The case is important because it emphasizes that SSc can present with fulminant lymphocytic myocarditis and shock, warranting early cardiac MRI and biopsy-driven diagnosis.
Mohammad F, Alhajri N, Al-Matrooshi N et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Knowledge landscape and hotspots of scientific publications on myocarditis: a bibliometric analysis from 2000 to 2024.
This bibliometric analysis studied the knowledge landscape and research hotspots in myocarditis publications from 2000 to 2024 using the Web of Science database (15,387 records) and visualized trends with R and Microsoft Excel. It identified evolving publication patterns and emerging areas of focus across the myocarditis literature over time. The findings are scientifically significant for guiding future research priorities and funding decisions in myocarditis.
Zheng X, He Y, Lin W et al. · Singapore medical journal · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Severe hypereosinophilia and eosinophilic myocarditis during secondary plasma cell leukemia: evidence of a paraneoplastic manifestation of aggressive myeloma evolution.
This case report studied a 40-year-old woman with IgG lambda multiple myeloma who developed severe hypereosinophilia and eosinophilic myocarditis during secondary plasma cell leukemia progression. The key finding was that the eosinophilic cardiac involvement behaved as a paraneoplastic manifestation of aggressive myeloma evolution and the patient achieved complete remission after daratumumab-based induction therapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant. Clinically, it underscores that life-threatening eosinophilic myocarditis in plasma cell neoplasms may be driven by tumor biology and can improve with effective anti-myeloma therapy.
Catini ME, Garibotto M, Morelli MC et al. · Annals of hematology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Loeffler’s Endomyocarditis: Clinical characteristics and outcomes from a tertiary care centre registry.
This retrospective single-center registry study evaluated patients diagnosed with Loeffler’s endomyocarditis (cardiac manifestation of hypereosinophilic syndrome) between 2017 and 2025 using clinical data, biomarkers, echocardiography, CMR, and endomyocardial biopsy (n=8). The analysis identified two clinical patterns—an acute inflammatory form characterized by elevated troponin T, C-reactive protein, fever, and subepicardial late gadolinium enhancement, and a second pattern (described in the truncated abstract) with different imaging/biomarker behavior—along with associated outcomes. The results help refine phenotyping and risk stratification of eosinophilic myocarditis to guide management decisions.
Buske P, Krieghoff C, Lücke C et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Multimodality imaging of myocardial injury and coronary microvascular dysfunction in congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.
This case report described multimodality imaging of myocardial injury and coronary microvascular dysfunction in a patient with congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura due to ADAMTS13 deficiency. It reported subclinical cardiac involvement characterized by myocardial fibrosis/scarring on cardiac magnetic resonance and impaired myocardial flow reserve on PET perfusion imaging, particularly after temporary discontinuation of enzyme replacement therapy. The significance is that combining CMR with PET can detect early, clinically silent cardiac complications in this ultra-rare genetic disorder.
Kumar A, Khokhlov L, O’Donnell R · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac MRI in Pericarditis & Pericardial Inflammation
Primary Malignant Pericardial Epithelioid Mesothelioma Presenting as Cardiac Tamponade: A Case Report With Multimodality Imaging and Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation.
This case report described a 67-year-old woman with primary malignant pericardial epithelioid mesothelioma presenting as cardiac tamponade, evaluated with multimodality imaging and radiologic-pathologic correlation. The diagnostic workup using CT angiography and other imaging modalities identified features consistent with an infiltrative pericardial malignancy despite initial negative evaluations for pulmonary embolism and acute aortic pathology. The report emphasizes that rare pericardial tumors can be occult early and that multimodality imaging plus pathology correlation is crucial for timely diagnosis in tamponade presentations.
Dhakal S, Savoia P, Yasmine N et al. · Case reports in radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Efficacy and Safety of Pharmaceutically Manufactured Cannabidiol in Recurrent Pericarditis: A Phase II Clinical Trial.
This Phase 2, open-label, multicenter clinical trial evaluated pharmaceutically manufactured cannabidiol (oral formulation) for efficacy and safety in adult patients with recurrent pericarditis. The trial rationale targeted the NACHT, leucine-rich repeat, and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome pathway, and it assessed outcomes in patients with pericarditis chest pain and elevated C-reactive protein and/or cardiac MRI evidence of pericardial inflammation. The study is clinically significant because it tests a mechanism-based anti-inflammatory therapy for recurrent pericarditis with potential to reduce relapse risk.
Luis SA, Klein AL, Cremer PC et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Added value of cardiac magnetic resonance to clinical diagnostic criteria in the diagnosis of pericarditis: a retrospective cohort study.
This retrospective cohort study evaluated consecutive patients referred for CMR-based assessment of suspected pericarditis (2010–2024) and compared clinical diagnostic patterns between those with pericardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) versus those without. Patients with CMR-positive pericardial LGE showed different (more supportive) clinical features than CMR-negative patients, indicating that CMR LGE can add diagnostic value when standard clinical criteria are transient. The findings support incorporating CMR into diagnostic pathways to improve diagnostic certainty for pericarditis in real-world practice.
Hasslacher S, Kritharides L, Yu C et al. · Heart (British Cardiac Society) · (2026) · 2 citations · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac MRI in Heart Failure Risk, Screening & Prognosis
Effects of Dehydroepiandrosterone in Pulmonary Hypertension (EDIPHY): A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial.
This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial studied dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in participants with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) to determine whether DHEA improves right ventricular (RV) function measured by cardiac MRI. The key finding was that DHEA had no effect on the primary endpoint of change in RV longitudinal strain after 18 weeks, although the abstract indicates some improvement in RV short-axis strain measures. This is significant because it clarifies the limited/partial efficacy of DHEA for RV functional recovery in PAH and informs future therapeutic targeting strategies.
Sanders R, Walsh T, Baird GL et al. · Annals of the American Thoracic Society · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
HERZCHECK: Early Detection of Subclinical Preheart Failure Using Mobile Cardiac Magnetic Resonance and Telemedicine in Rural and Underressourced Regions.
The HERZCHECK study evaluated a mobile, telemedicine-supervised cardiac MRI screening approach for detecting subclinical preheart failure in asymptomatic adults aged 40–69 years with at least one cardiovascular risk factor across 12 rural/underresourced sites in Germany. The key finding was the feasibility and performance of this standardized mobile CMR-based screening algorithm delivered with remote supervision. This is significant because it proposes a scalable pathway for early identification of pre-HF in settings where conventional screening infrastructure is limited.
Kelle S, Müller ML, Beyer RE et al. · Circulation. Heart failure · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
The contribution of adolescent cardiovascular disease risk factors to vascular stiffness and cardiac remodelling in young adults.
Using the Raine Study cohort (n=716), this study assessed how adolescent cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk status predicts vascular stiffness (pulse wave velocity, PWV) and cardiac remodeling (left ventricular mass index, LVMI; LV/RV/LA strain and ejection fractions) measured by cardiac magnetic resonance at age 27. Higher adolescent CVD risk was associated with greater vascular stiffness and adverse cardiac structural/functional remodeling in young adulthood. This provides evidence that early-life risk stratification can identify individuals likely to develop measurable CMR-defined cardiac changes later.
Barden AE, Beilin LJ, Lan NSR et al. · European journal of preventive cardiology · (2026) · 2 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Mortality trends and demographics due to hypertensive nephrosclerosis in older adults from 1999-2020.
This population-level study analyzed mortality trends and demographics associated with hypertensive nephrosclerosis (HSN) in U.S. adults aged ≥65 years from 1999–2020 using CDC WONDER and ICD-10 code I-12 (hypertensive renal disease). Using crude and age-adjusted mortality rates and Joinpoint regression, it quantified how HSN-related death rates changed over time and across demographic strata. These trend estimates improve understanding of the public-health burden of HSN and can inform prevention strategies to reduce downstream cardiovascular and renal mortality.
Kalpina F, Kumar D, Shujaat T et al. · Journal of human hypertension · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Scalable risk stratification of undiagnosed heart failure using routine health data and its association with imaging phenotypes and outcomes.
This study developed and validated a scalable risk stratification model (FIND-HF) to identify individuals with undiagnosed heart failure using routine UK primary care electronic health records (CPRD-Aurum, n=3,520,186) and then externally validated it in CPRD-GOLD (n=570,850), Japan (JMDC, n=6,820,694), and the U.S. (Epic Cosmos, n=7,710,3 [truncated]). FIND-HF used logistic regression to predict incident HF diagnosis within one year and showed good discrimination (AUC ~0.72–0.79) while being comparable to more complex modeling approaches. The model’s ability to associate with imaging phenotypes and outcomes supports practical, EHR-based early detection of high-risk patients for timely HF workup.
Nakao YM, Nadarajah R, Shuweihdi F et al. · Scientific reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Novel Multiplex Near-Point-of-Care PCR Assay for Detecting Sexually Transmitted Infections Among PrEP Users in Western Kenya: Protocol for a Cross-Sectional Pilot Study With an Epidemiological Assessment.
This protocol describes a cross-sectional pilot study to evaluate a novel multiplex near-point-of-care PCR assay (FlashDx platform) for detecting sexually transmitted infections among PrEP users in Western Kenya. The study will assess feasibility and epidemiological performance for pathogens such as Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae using near-point-of-care molecular testing rather than centralized laboratory NAAT workflows. The work is significant because it targets faster, scalable STI diagnosis in a low-resource setting where turnaround time and access to diagnostics limit care.
Sohaili A, Mogaka F, Alexiou Z et al. · JMIR research protocols · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Long-term follow-up of a phase 1/2 trial of anti-GDF-15 antibody visugromab plus anti-PD-1 antibody nivolumab in anti-PD-1/-L1 relapsed/refractory solid tumors.
This long-term follow-up analysis studied visugromab (neutralizing anti–GDF-15 antibody) plus nivolumab (anti–PD-1) in heavily pretreated patients with anti–PD-1/PD-L1 relapsed/refractory solid tumors enrolled in the first-in-human GDFATHER-01 phase 1/2a trial, including non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer, urothelial carcinoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The study reported durable clinical outcomes over extended follow-up for this anti–GDF-15 plus anti–PD-1 strategy in a population with resistance to prior PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. These results strengthen the scientific rationale for targeting the GDF-15 resistance axis to overcome or mitigate anti–PD-1/PD-L1 resistance in solid tumors.
Melero I, de Miguel M, Cabanas EG et al. · Journal of hematology & oncology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Phenotyping & Risk
Concomitant Hypertension in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Clinical Phenotype and Prognostic Associations of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Biomarkers.
This study characterized cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) phenotypes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients with concomitant hypertension and assessed associations with all-cause mortality, using data from the HCM-LGE registry (2008–2024). Hypertensive HCM patients showed distinct CMR tissue-characterization patterns on late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and CMR-derived biomarkers that were associated with long-term all-cause mortality compared with non-hypertensive HCM. These findings support using CMR/LGE biomarkers to refine risk stratification in HCM patients with hypertension, potentially guiding closer surveillance and management.
Florence J, Gonçalves T, Toupin S et al. · European journal of preventive cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Association of TNNI3 and MYBPC3 variants with clinical phenotype and metabolic disorders in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
This study assessed how genetic variants in TNNI3 and MYBPC3 relate to clinical phenotype and metabolic disorders in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), using 34 newly diagnosed HCM patients, 51 healthy controls, and 23 unaffected family members. Whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing identified variants, and non-targeted ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-based metabolomics was used to characterize metabolic differences by genotype and phenotype. The results link specific sarcomere gene variants (TNNI3, MYBPC3) to distinct clinical and metabolic profiles, suggesting genotype-informed metabolic phenotyping in HCM.
Wu H, Yu Q, Li H et al. · BMC cardiovascular disorders · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Unmasking Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Multimodality Imaging With Stress Cardiac MRI and Coronary CT Angiography.
This case report studied a 21-year-old woman with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) using multimodality imaging—stress cardiac MRI and coronary CT angiography—to unmask coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). The key finding was that stress CMR and CT angiography identified CMD in the setting of HCM, alongside echocardiographic evidence of mild LV hypertrophy, reduced global longitudinal strain, and mildly increased LVOT gradients. The case illustrates how stress CMR combined with coronary CT angiography can clarify the ischemic mechanism in HCM patients with suspected microvascular disease.
Ufuk F · Case reports in radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Sex-disaggregated data in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a targeted literature review, meta-analysis and primary cohort study.
This study performed a targeted literature review, meta-analysis, and a primary cohort analysis to examine sex-disaggregated echocardiographic and cardiac MRI findings and outcomes in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). It found that sex-based differences exist in HCM presentation/progression and that sex-disaggregated NT-proBNP and imaging measures can reveal clinically relevant heterogeneity between men and women. The significance is that incorporating sex-specific data from cardiac MRI and biomarkers may improve risk stratification and guide future disease-modifying strategies in HCM.
Lim VG, Kokara M, Jarrett A et al. · Open heart · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Natural History of Asymptomatic Phenotypically Mild HCM: Insights From the SHaRe Registry.
This registry-based study used the Sarcomeric Human Cardiomyopathy Registry (SHaRe) to characterize the natural history and predictors of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with phenotypically mild hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). It found that even among patients with mild phenotypes—defined by shorter disease duration (<10 years since diagnosis or age ≤30), NYHA class I, and no prior MACE—there are measurable rates of incident MACE and identifiable predictors of progression. The clinical significance is that defining “mild” HCM using clinical criteria and tracking outcomes can support earlier risk identification and potential enrollment into disease-modifying trials.
Topriceanu CC, Balakrishnan ID, Vissing CR et al. · Journal of the American College of Cardiology · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac MRI in Atrial Fibrillation, Fibrosis & Ablation Outcomes
The CAMERA-MRI Score to Predict LVEF Normalization Post Ablation for Primary Atrial Fibrillation Mediated Cardiomyopathy: a Pooled Analysis of Two Randomized Clinical Trials.
This pooled analysis of the CAMERA-MRI and CAMERA-MRI II randomized clinical trials studied predictors of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) normalization after catheter ablation in patients with primary atrial fibrillation (AF)–mediated cardiomyopathy using baseline and serial CMR. The key finding was identification of CMR-derived and clinical predictors associated with subsequent LVEF normalization following ablation. This is significant because it moves risk stratification toward a prospective approach for selecting AF-mediated cardiomyopathy patients most likely to recover LVEF after ablation.
Cho KK, Segan L, Anthony C et al. · Heart rhythm · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Atrial Fibrosis Imaging: Correlation of Late Gadolinium Enhancement Magnetic Resonance Imaging With High-Definition Voltage Electroanatomical Mapping Across Different Thresholds.
This prospective study evaluated 60 ablation-naïve atrial fibrillation patients using 1.5T cardiac MRI late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) atrial fibrosis imaging and compared it with high-definition voltage electroanatomical mapping across different fibrosis thresholds. It found that LGE-derived atrial fibrosis measures correlate with electroanatomical voltage abnormalities, with the strength of agreement depending on the chosen LGE threshold. The scientific significance is that it helps standardize how CMR atrial fibrosis quantification should be thresholded to better predict arrhythmia recurrence risk and thromboembolic risk after AF ablation.
Efremidis T, Nyktari E, Kariki O et al. · Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac MRI in Takotsubo Syndrome (Stress Cardiomyopathy)
CMR Findings Across Disease Phases in Takotsubo Syndrome: Insights From the Multicenter EVOLUTION Registry.
This retrospective multicenter EVOLUTION registry analysis studied 439 patients with Takotsubo syndrome (400 females; mean age ~70 years) and compared CMR findings across disease phases defined by time from symptom onset to CMR (acute 1–72 hours, subacute 4–21 days, late ≥22 days). The key finding was that CMR characteristics differed by phase, with the cohort distribution showing most scans in the subacute window (60%) and fewer in acute (33%) and late (6%). This is clinically significant because phase-aware interpretation of CMR may improve diagnostic accuracy and understanding of the temporal evolution of myocardial changes in Takotsubo syndrome.
Cau R, Luetkens J, Pontone G et al. · The American journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Stress-Induced (Takotsubo) Cardiomyopathy Associated With Upadacitinib Induction Therapy in Severe Crohn’s Disease.
This case report investigated stress-induced (Takotsubo) cardiomyopathy occurring after upadacitinib induction therapy in a 64-year-old woman with severe Crohn’s disease and a high-output ileostomy. Six days after starting upadacitinib 45 mg daily, she developed reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (35%) with mid-to-apical wall motion abnormalities, with coronary angiography showing nonobstructive disease and cardiac MRI showing normalization without fibrosis or infarction consistent with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. The report is clinically significant because it expands the cardiovascular adverse-event spectrum of JAK inhibitors to include Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.
Alnounou A, Katwala A, Sawaf B et al. · ACG case reports journal · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
An unexpected sequel to happiness: happy heart syndrome.
This case report studied a 65-year-old woman with cardiovascular risk factors who developed takotsubo cardiomyopathy triggered by a positive emotional event (“happy heart syndrome”) after attending a wedding party. The key finding was transient ECG changes with normalization of ST-segment elevation and associated QT prolongation and T-wave inversion, along with elevated troponin and echocardiographic findings consistent with takotsubo physiology. The report highlights that emotional triggers can precipitate takotsubo variants and that multimodal assessment is important to distinguish these from acute coronary syndromes.
Rhabneh L, Wafi J, Ababneh R et al. · Oxford medical case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI in Amyloidosis & Extracellular Matrix Remodeling
Septal thickness to QRS voltage ratio in Lead I/aVR: A simple tool for estimating cardiac amyloid burden.
This study evaluated whether an integrated echocardiographic–electrocardiographic (echo-ECG) index—maximum septal thickness (MST) divided by QRS voltage in lead I and/or aVR—correlates with cardiac amyloidosis burden measured by CMR-derived extracellular volume (ECV). The key finding was that the MST/QRS-voltage ratio provides a simple, widely accessible estimate that tracks with CMR ECV in patients with suspected or confirmed cardiac amyloidosis. This is significant because it offers a low-cost screening/triage tool when CMR ECV is unavailable due to cost or access constraints.
Sclafani M, Arcari L, Tini G et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac MRI in Obesity & Adiposity-Related Cardiac Remodeling
Differential Biventricular Strain Recovery With Selective Fibrosis Biomarker Regression After Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Prospective CMR Feature-Tracking Study.
This prospective single-center cohort study evaluated 32 adults undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) using biventricular/biatrial cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature-tracking (CMR-FT), fibrosis and adipokine biomarkers, and cardiovascular risk/quality-of-life measures. After LSG, myocardial strain recovery differed between chambers and was linked to selective regression of fibrosis biomarkers rather than uniform reversal across the heart. These findings suggest obesity-related cardiac injury may resolve on uneven timelines, supporting CMR-FT plus biomarker-guided monitoring of post-bariatric cardiovascular recovery.
Akarsu H, Kılıç İD, Dodurga Y et al. · Obesity surgery · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac Remodeling and Dysfunction Associated in Populations With Obesity: An Analysis of Cardiac Structure and Function.
This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized CMR studies in adults with obesity (WHO criteria) versus non-obese controls to define an obesity-related cardiac magnetic resonance phenotype. Across included studies, obesity was associated with consistent alterations in CMR-derived cardiac structure/function and tissue/adiposity measures, summarized as pooled standardized mean differences. The findings support CMR as a reproducible framework for characterizing subclinical obesity-related cardiac remodeling and for refining risk phenotypes.
Khanna S, Wilson D, Mann G et al. · Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac MRI in Diabetes & Metabolic Cardiovascular Risk
Prognostic value of epicardial adipose tissue distribution as a complementary risk marker for major adverse cardiovascular events in diabetes.
In a prospective study of 1071 individuals with diabetes mellitus, this research compared BMI, waist-hip ratio (WHR), epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume and spatial distribution, and visceral adiposity index (VAI) for predicting major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Increased EAT—particularly its distribution—provided complementary predictive value beyond general obesity measures for MACE risk. This suggests that CMR-derived EAT distribution could improve cardiovascular risk stratification in diabetes.
Qiao S, Liu C, Ma Y et al. · Scientific reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac MRI in Congenital/Structural Heart Disease & Longitudinal Follow-up
Initial experience with primary and redo robotic pyeloplasty using the Versius robotic system (CMR).
This retrospective single-center study evaluated outcomes of primary and redo robotic pyeloplasty performed with the Versius robotic system (CMR) in 74 patients treated at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute & Research Center (PKLI & RC), Lahore. The key finding was the reported surgical experience and outcomes for both initial and repeat procedures using the Versius platform. This is significant for urologic practice because it provides early real-world evidence on feasibility and effectiveness of Versius robotic pyeloplasty, including for redo cases.
Zafar N, Nusrat NB, Muhammad S et al. · Urologia · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Multimodality Imaging of Pulmonary Regurgitation and Right Ventricular Remodeling in Adults With Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot: A Descriptive Single-Center Case Series.
This descriptive single-center case series studied seven adults with surgically repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) who underwent serial transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and at least two cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) examinations over 5 to >15 years to characterize pulmonary regurgitation (PR) and right ventricular (RV) remodeling. The key finding was the longitudinal multimodality imaging depiction of PR severity and corresponding RV remodeling trajectories in this adult repaired-TOF cohort. This is significant because it illustrates how combined TTE/CMR follow-up can inform timing decisions for pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) in long-term TOF care.
AlRahimi J · Cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Long-Term Follow-Up With Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in 2 Patients With Isolated Left Ventricular Apical Hypoplasia.
This JACC Case Reports report described two patients with isolated left ventricular apical hypoplasia who underwent serial cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging over more than a decade from childhood into early adulthood. Over long-term follow-up, both patients showed stable ventricular morphology and function without major progression described in the available abstract. The extended CMR timeline helps clarify natural history and may inform long-term surveillance strategies for this rare congenital anomaly.
Isenia C, Hassing HC, Constantinescu AA et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Incidental Cardiac Fibroma in a Young Soldier: Exercise Authorization and Graded Fitness-for-Duty Determination.
This case report described a 25-year-old active-duty soldier in whom routine screening incidentally identified an intramyocardial cardiac fibroma (20×20 mm) in the basal interventricular septum. The report focuses on exercise authorization and graded fitness-for-duty determination in the absence of specific sports cardiology guidance for this entity. It highlights the need for structured, evidence-informed occupational exercise decisions for incidental primary cardiac tumors in adults.
Demoulin R, Parsaï C, Bone ACK et al. · Military medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Refractory Postcardiotomy Right Ventricular Failure Revealing Massive Right Ventricular Lipomatous Replacement: Autopsy-Imaging Correlation.
This case report correlated autopsy findings with imaging in a 76-year-old woman who developed refractory postcardiotomy right ventricular (RV) failure after elective mitral valve repair. Despite preoperative echocardiography and cardiac MRI showing preserved biventricular function and no abnormal intramyocardial fat on standard sequences, the patient’s RV failure revealed massive RV lipomatous replacement at autopsy, underscoring diagnostic difficulty in distinguishing benign RV fat from arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). The report is significant because it shows that standard cardiac MRI sequences may miss clinically important RV fat-related pathology after cardiac surgery.
Landín P, Plateros S, Campelos P et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Nonsurgical Management of a Post-Traumatic Left Ventricular Septal Aneurysm in a 13-Year-Old Male.
This case report studied a 13-year-old boy who developed a post-traumatic left ventricular septal aneurysm after blunt chest trauma, using electrocardiography, echocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) with late gadolinium enhancement. CMR showed near-transmural late gadolinium enhancement and echocardiography demonstrated an apical septal aneurysm without ventricular septal defect and with preserved systolic function, and the patient remained clinically stable on conservative therapy with enalapril, propranolol, and aspirin. The report suggests that selected pediatric traumatic left ventricular aneurysms without associated defects and with preserved function may be managed nonsurgically while monitoring with multimodality imaging.
Jocson C, Argrave M, Nasworthy M · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Multimodality imaging of extensive caseous-calcific myocardial involvement mimicking a cardiac mass.
This case report studied a 73-year-old asymptomatic woman with a large interventricular septal “mass” on echocardiography, using CMR to determine the underlying pathology. CMR showed asymmetric septal hypertrophy with markedly reduced native T1 and T2 values, hypoperfusion on first-pass perfusion, and peripheral late gadolinium enhancement surrounding a non-enhancing core, consistent with caseous-calcific myocardial involvement rather than a neoplasm. The report emphasizes that multimodality imaging can prevent misdiagnosis of calcific myocardial lesions that mimic cardiac masses.
Frittella S, Lo Monaco M, Mollace R et al. · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac MRI in Valvular Heart Disease & Systemic Involvement
Extra-Mitral Abnormalities in Non-Syndromic Mitral Valve Prolapse assessed by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance.
This retrospective single-center case-control study used cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) to characterize extra-mitral systemic morpho-functional abnormalities in 120 patients with non-syndromic mitral valve prolapse (MVP) without more than mild regurgitation and without known syndromic connective tissue disease. The authors investigated CMR features of cardiac chambers, aortic dimensions, and skeletal indices consistent with connective tissue alterations beyond the mitral valve. The study supports using CMR to detect systemic involvement in non-syndromic MVP, potentially refining clinical risk assessment.
Figliozzi S, Stankowski K, Donia D et al. · The Canadian journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac MRI in Rare Genetic/Storage Disorders (e.g., Fabry)
ECG parameters to detect cardiac involvement in Fabry disease.
This study investigated electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters for detecting cardiac involvement across clinical stages in Fabry disease, enrolling 62 Fabry patients and 45 healthy controls with same-day ECG, echocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). ECG metrics were evaluated for their ability to discriminate Fabry cardiac involvement and to track differences by disease stage, with CMR/echo serving as reference assessments. The findings support ECG-based screening tools to identify Fabry cardiomyopathy earlier and stratify patients for confirmatory imaging and management.
Wang Y, Kong J, Wang J et al. · BMC cardiovascular disorders · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiological aspects of Fabry disease: from diagnosis to therapeutic efficacy assessment.
This review article examined the cardiology of Fabry disease, focusing on how ECG, echocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) are used from diagnosis through assessment of therapeutic efficacy in Fabry cardiomyopathy. It highlights that cardiac biomarkers such as troponin and NT-proBNP, alongside imaging, are central to quantifying cardiac involvement and monitoring disease progression and treatment response. The synthesis supports standardized multimodality evaluation to guide clinical decision-making in this rare lysosomal storage disorder.
Graziani F, Biagini E, Argirò A et al. · Orphanet journal of rare diseases · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI in Transplant Rejection Surveillance
Abnormal Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mapping Parameters in Pediatric Heart Transplant Patients with Elevated Donor-Derived Cell Free DNA.
This retrospective study characterized multiparametric CMR trends in pediatric heart transplant recipients who underwent clinically indicated CMR within 30 days and were stratified by high versus low donor-derived cell-free DNA (ddcfDNA). The key finding was that pediatric transplant patients with elevated ddcfDNA showed abnormal CMR mapping parameters (including T1/ECV and T2 mapping and functional/volume measures) compared with those with low ddcfDNA. Scientifically and clinically, it supports combining ddcfDNA with CMR quantitative mapping to improve rejection surveillance beyond either modality alone.
Watanabe K, Magnetta DA, Laternser C et al. · Pediatric cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI Acquisition/Quantification Methods & AI Reconstruction
Fast and scalable annotation-free LV-centered ROI localisation in stress perfusion cardiac MRI.
The study developed and tested an annotation-free left ventricle (LV)–centered region-of-interest (ROI) localization pipeline for stress perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT)–based localization with Sobel edge refinement and a heuristic fallback on raw perfusion frames. The key finding was that the method can rapidly and scalably generate consistent circular LV-centered ROIs without task-specific manual labels. This is significant because it reduces the labeling bottleneck for stress perfusion CMR analysis and enables broader deployment of automated quantitative workflows in clinical and research settings.
Kalashami MP, Fagioli A, Marini MR et al. · Computers in biology and medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Generative MR Multitasking With Complex-Harmonic Cardiac Encoding: Bridging the Gap Between Gated Imaging and Real-Time Imaging.
This work developed a generative MRI multitasking reconstruction framework for cardiac MRI that bridges gated imaging and real-time imaging by learning implicit neural temporal bases and an interpretable latent space for cardiac and respiratory motion. The key finding was that modeling cardiac motion as a complex harmonic within a conditional variational autoencoder (CVAE) framework links beat-to-beat functional variability across gated-like and real-time-like views. This is significant because it can improve quantitative and motion-robust cardiac MRI reconstruction across different acquisition paradigms, potentially enabling more flexible clinical imaging.
Fang X, Christodoulou AG · Magnetic resonance in medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Standardized Acquisition of Fetal Cardiac Cine MRI: A Practical Guide.
This practical guide described standardized acquisition methods for fetal cardiac cine MRI, addressing the need for reliable gating and motion compensation enabled by advances in fetal rhythm monitoring within the MRI scanner. The key finding was the provision of a reproducible, clinically usable cine MRI protocol for systematic fetal cardiac assessment. This is significant because it supports broader adoption of fetal cardiac MRI beyond research by improving consistency and feasibility of image acquisition across clinical sites.
Biechele G, de Vries F, Stos B et al. · Circulation. Cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Colorectal anastomotic safety assessment using ICG fluorescence and flexible endoscopy (COLOSSEUM): a global survey of 1367 surgeons.
This global practice survey (n=1367 surgeons from 80 countries) evaluated how surgeons use indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence and flexible endoscopy (FE) to assess colorectal anastomotic perfusion and integrity. The study quantified intersurgeon variability and current implementation patterns of these techniques through a Delphi-like questionnaire process. By mapping real-world adoption, it informs development of standardized recommendations to reduce anastomotic leakage risk.
Belvedere A, Licardie E, Sochorova D et al. · Surgical endoscopy · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
AI Model Improves Interpretation of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scans.
This News and Perspectives article describes an AI model intended to improve interpretation of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) scans. The key claim is that AI can enhance accuracy and efficiency for CMR reading, reducing reliance on time-intensive specialist interpretation. If validated clinically, such tools could streamline CMR workflows and improve consistency of cardiac imaging assessment.
Narang SK · Journal of medical Internet research · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Genomic insights into Mycobacterium cavoris sp. nov., related to Mycobacterium terrae complex isolated from the oral cavity of a healthy adult.
This study reported genomic insights into a novel nontuberculous mycobacterium species, Mycobacterium cavoris sp. nov., within the Mycobacterium terrae complex, isolated from the oral cavity of a healthy adult in Delhi, India. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on strain SVM_VP21 using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform, with assembly (Shovill) and gene annotation (RAST) to support taxonomic identification. The genome resource expands understanding of M. terrae complex diversity and improves future diagnostic and comparative genomic work for environmental mycobacteria.
Chauhan V, Shrivastava K, Kumar P et al. · Antonie van Leeuwenhoek · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Optimal cardiac phase selection using motion-sensitive cine imaging improves T2w-STIR image quality in cardiac MRI.
The study evaluated whether motion-sensitive cine (MoSe) cardiac phase selection improves cardiac T2-weighted short-tau inversion recovery (T2w-STIR) image quality versus conventional ECG-triggering at end-diastole in 12 healthy volunteers undergoing 1.5T cardiac MRI. MoSe cine allowed identification of phases with minimal myocardial motion, reducing myocardial signal loss and inhomogeneity in T2w-STIR images compared with the standard longest trigger delay approach. This supports motion-guided phase selection as a practical acquisition strategy to improve myocardial edema imaging reliability in cardiac MRI.
Tachikawa Y, Ando C, Ishikawa R et al. · Magma (New York, N.Y.) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Generated automatically on July 15, 2026. Covers PubMed articles published July 08, 2026 – July 15, 2026. Summaries are AI-generated; always consult the original publication for clinical or research decisions.