What's New in Cardiac MRI? — July 22, 2026
AI-summarised digest of 60 PubMed articles on Cardiac MRI published in the last 7 days.
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What’s New in Cardiac MRI?
July 22, 2026 · 60 articles · 15 research themes · covering July 15, 2026 – July 22, 2026
Overview
Across this week’s set of papers, cardiac MRI (CMR) is repeatedly positioned as a “decision tool” that goes beyond anatomy—supporting diagnosis, risk stratification, and longitudinal monitoring. Multiple studies focus on extracting more reliable quantitative information from CMR (e.g., diffusion- and transformer-based reconstruction, automated left atrial strain, continuous-time motion tracking, and ROI localization), while others validate pragmatic alternatives when CMR timing is constrained (e.g., feature-tracking cardiac CT strain and ECG reconstruction inside the MR scanner). Together, these efforts aim to make advanced imaging more reproducible, scalable, and clinically usable.
A second dominant theme is refining cardiovascular phenotyping for prognosis: diastolic dysfunction and HFpEF mechanisms (including coronary microvascular dysfunction–diastolic dysfunction links and 4D-flow detection of early LV diastolic impairment), ischemic risk (stress perfusion CMR prognostication and CMR-detected chronic LV thrombus risk scoring), and hemodynamic coupling metrics (such as right atrioventricular coupling for functional tricuspid regurgitation). In parallel, several arrhythmia-focused reports and reviews emphasize that standard monitoring can miss intermittent lethal rhythms (notably in Anderson-Fabry disease) and that conduction abnormalities or myocarditis-like presentations can confound risk interpretation.
Finally, the clinical vignettes and translational/therapeutic studies underscore the importance of correct classification—especially in athletes and in inherited/genetic cardiomyopathies. Imaging helped distinguish myocarditis from mimics (including drug-induced myocarditis and takotsubo-like overlap), unmask genetic disease after inflammatory presentations, and guide return-to-play decisions. Mechanism-based therapy signals appear in trials such as trientine for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, while broader public health and environmental studies (tobacco-associated IHD mortality trends; persistent organochlorine/polychlorinated biphenyl contamination in marine sediments) broaden the digest beyond the imaging lab.
Cardiac MRI reconstruction & computational imaging
Training Deep Learning Based Dynamic MR Image Reconstruction Using Synthetic Fractals.
This study investigated whether deep learning (DL) models for dynamic MRI reconstruction can be trained using synthetically generated fractal data rather than proprietary cardiac MRI datasets. A 3D U-Net artifact-suppression model trained on quaternion Julia fractal–generated dynamic 2D+time data (F-DL) was compared against models trained on natural videos (NV-DL) and cardiac MRI data (CMR-DL). The work suggests synthetic fractal training data can enable privacy- and licensing-friendly DL reconstruction for dynamic MRI, potentially improving access to high-performance reconstruction pipelines.
Raman A, Jaubert O, Wrobel M et al. · Magnetic resonance in medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac motion tracking with bidirectional latent neural ODEs from cine cardiac MRI.
This computational imaging study developed an unsupervised framework for cardiac motion tracking from cine cardiac MRI using bidirectional latent neural ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The method uses a frame-aware encoder with temporal embeddings and evolves motion in a continuous-time latent space to reduce accumulated temporal errors and improve physical consistency. This approach is significant for more reliable, temporally coherent motion estimation that can enhance downstream functional assessment and disease analysis from cine MRI.
Ruan D, Zhou K, Zhu C et al. · Computerized medical imaging and graphics : the official journal of the Computerized Medical Imaging Society · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac MRI Reconstruction Using Diffusion Priors and Multi-Scale Transformer-Based Feature Modeling.
This paper studied diffusion-based multi-scale feature fusion transformer (DMFT) methods for cardiac MRI reconstruction, focusing on improving high-frequency detail recovery and robustness under undersampling compared with prior transformer-based approaches. The key finding is that DMFT better preserves reconstructed structures and improves reliability by combining diffusion priors with multi-scale transformer feature modeling. Clinically, this could enable more dependable cardiac MRI reconstruction in real-world, time-constrained imaging workflows.
Lyu J, Zhao B, Al-Hazzaa SAF et al. · IEEE journal of biomedical and health informatics · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Fast and scalable annotation-free LV-centered ROI localisation in stress perfusion cardiac MRI.
This engineering study developed an annotation-free, left-ventricle (LV)-centered region-of-interest (ROI) localization pipeline for stress perfusion cardiac MRI using Fast Fourier Transform-based localization, Sobel edge refinement, and a heuristic fallback. The method generates consistent LV-centered ROIs directly from raw perfusion frames without task-specific labels, enabling fast and scalable analysis. This could reduce the need for manual annotation and accelerate quantitative stress perfusion CMR workflows in research and potentially clinical settings.
Kalashami MP, Fagioli A, Marini MR et al. · Computers in biology and medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac MRI biomarkers & quantitative phenotyping
Validation of Feature-Tracking Cardiac CT for Left Ventricular Strain Assessment in Pediatric Acute Myocarditis: Comparison With Cardiac MRI.
In 45 children with acute myocarditis who underwent both cardiac CT with feature-tracking (FT-CCT) and cardiac MRI (CMR), the study validated FT-CCT–derived left ventricular (LV) strain (global longitudinal, circumferential, and radial) against CMR and assessed diagnostic performance for late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). FT-CCT demonstrated excellent intermodality agreement with CMR for LV strain and showed strong ability to detect LGE, with performance influenced by heart rate. This supports FT-CCT as a pragmatic alternative for LV strain and LGE assessment when CMR is delayed after clinically indicated coronary CT angiography.
Yang L, Cao Y, Peng Y · Journal of computer assisted tomography · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Influence of left bundle branch block on left atrial strain parameters in patients with ischaemic and non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy.
In a retrospective single-center comparison of 20 controls, 21 patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB) without dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), 20 patients with DCM without LBBB, and 20 patients with both DCM and LBBB, the study assessed how LBBB affects left atrial (LA) strain parameters measured by CMR using cvi42® and Segment® software. LBBB significantly altered LA strain metrics compared with DCM phenotypes without LBBB, indicating that conduction abnormalities confound LA strain interpretation. This is important for using LA strain as a prognostic biomarker in DCM, because LBBB status should be accounted for when stratifying risk.
Petersen A, Kamieniarz P, Meteva D et al. · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Advancing Heart Ageing in Ischemic Heart Disease: Insights from CMR and ECG Analysis.
This study investigated whether ischemic heart disease (IHD) is associated with accelerated “biological heart ageing” using CMR radiomics and ECG-derived features to estimate heart age gap (HAG) in 2,142 prevalent IHD cases. IHD patients demonstrated altered biological heart age estimates (HAG) and the study quantified how conventional cardiac imaging indices and vascular risk factors contributed to the heart-ageing biomarker. The results support CMR+ECG “heart age” as a potential imaging-based biomarker for cardiovascular ageing in IHD and for risk refinement beyond standard imaging.
Salih AM, Rauseo E, Galazzo IB et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Fully Automatic Left Atrial Strain Quantification via Multi-task Learning on Cardiac Cine MRI.
This work developed a fully automatic left atrial (LA) strain quantification method using multi-task learning on cardiac cine MRI, trained and tested on a retrospective multi-center, two-vendor dataset. The model directly quantified LA strain from two-chamber and four-chamber cine images by combining a groupwise registration network with a segmentation network via spatiotemporal cross-attention, outperforming or matching conventional feature-tracking approaches such as optical flow–based methods. Automating LA strain measurement improves reproducibility and scalability for LA functional assessment in clinical and research settings.
Zhao Y, Chen H, Gong Y et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Associations of thoracic muscle area factor and visceral adiposity with cardiac function in patients with overweight or obesity.
This study examined associations of thoracic axial skeletal muscle mass (TASM) factor and visceral adiposity with cardiac function in 154 overweight/obese patients undergoing cardiac magnetic resonance. TASM factor was positively associated with left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and global circumferential strain (GCS), while visceral fat showed adverse associations with cardiac functional measures and the analyses evaluated independent and interactive effects. The findings link body composition—muscle and visceral fat—to cardiac performance, supporting CMR-based phenotyping for cardiometabolic risk assessment.
Gao L, Cheng L, Liu W et al. · Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases : NMCD · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Quantitative CMR-derived pulmonary circulation imaging biomarkers in recent-onset dilated cardiomyopathy associated with pulmonary hemodynamics and clinical improvement.
This retrospective study evaluated pulmonary circulation imaging biomarkers (PCIB) derived from cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in 90 patients with recent-onset dilated cardiomyopathy (RODCM), with baseline and 1-year follow-up after excluding myocarditis-confirmed cases by endomyocardial biopsy. PCIB metrics were associated with pulmonary hemodynamics and with systolic/diastolic function, and they tracked clinical improvement over time. These CMR-based pulmonary biomarkers may improve risk assessment and monitoring of pulmonary hypertension and recovery in early-stage dilated cardiomyopathy.
Opatřil L, Mojica-Pisciotti ML, Panovský R et al. · BMC medical imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
The Right Atrium and Atrialised Right Ventricle are Associated with Cardiac Output During Exercise in Patients with Ebstein Anomaly of the Tricuspid Valve.
This study used resting and exercise cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) plus exercise testing to examine how right atrial volume and an atrialised right ventricle (aRV) relate to cardiac output and exercise capacity in 13 un-operated pediatric patients with Ebstein anomaly of the tricuspid valve. Right atrial (RA) and atrialised RV (aRV) volumes were associated with cardiac output during exercise and with %VO2max. The findings suggest that RA/aRV remodeling on CMRI may be clinically relevant for understanding exercise limitation and guiding management in Ebstein anomaly.
Gnanappa GK, Luxford J, Dryburgh L et al. · Pediatric cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI hemodynamics & flow (4D flow, perfusion, TAVR)
Feasibility of 12-lead ECG reconstruction at rest and during adenosine stress perfusion inside a 3-Tesla MR scanner.
This feasibility study tested whether 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) can be reconstructed inside a 3-Tesla MR scanner at rest and during adenosine stress perfusion using an MR-compatible external electrode patch system and dedicated post-processing software. The reconstructed in-bore 12-lead ECGs were feasible and accurate enough to obtain QRS/QT timing and assess ECG changes during adenosine infusion. This enables more reliable ECG monitoring during stress CMR, improving safety and interpretability of ischemia-related ECG endpoints in the MR environment.
Falconer D, Mehri M, Bhiri M et al. · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
RACI: A Novel Prognostic Marker in Functional Tricuspid Regurgitation.
In 633 patients with moderate-or-greater functional tricuspid regurgitation undergoing cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), this study evaluated the right atrioventricular coupling index (RACI)—the ratio of right atrial volume to right ventricular end-diastolic volume—as a prognostic marker for all-cause mortality. Patients with high RACI (≥0.62) had worse outcomes than those with normal RACI (<0.62), supporting RACI as a risk stratifier. This provides a CMR-derived hemodynamic metric that may improve prognostication in functional TR beyond conventional clinical assessment.
Zhang RS, Falco G, Li E et al. · Circulation. Cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Diagnostic Approach to Cardiac Sarcoidosis.
This study used 4D flow MRI to compute aortic wall shear stress (WSS) maps and applied permutation tests to address multiple comparisons when comparing regional WSS patterns between 46 patients with mild-to-moderate ascending aortic dilation with tricuspid valves and matched controls. The key finding was that permutation testing can identify statistically abnormal regional WSS patterns while controlling for multiplicity across the aortic surface. This improves the rigor of WSS-based phenotyping and may help detect early biomechanical changes associated with aortic dilation.
Lehtonen J, Birnie DH · Circulation · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Interventional Cardiac Magnetic Resonance-Guided Flutter Ablation: Technical Evolution and Procedural Insights from Early Clinical Use.
This retrospective single-center study evaluated real-time interventional cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (iCMR)-guided cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) ablation in 35 consecutive patients with typical atrial flutter. iCMR guidance on a 1.5T MRI scanner was feasible and enabled radiation-free catheter ablation with procedural efficiency and clinical outcomes reported from early clinical use. These findings support iCMR as a practical platform for CTI ablation, potentially improving safety by avoiding ionizing radiation while providing real-time soft-tissue visualization.
Hopman LHGA, Mahmoodi S, van Luijk RD et al. · Heart rhythm · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiovascular 4D Flow MRI for multidirectional hemodynamic assessment: a single-centre observational study.
This single-center observational study evaluated the feasibility and clinical utility of cardiovascular 4D flow MRI for multidirectional hemodynamic visualization and quantification in 30 cardiovascular MRI cases. Using time-resolved 3D velocity-encoded 4D flow MRI with retrospective ECG gating, respiratory compensation, and region-adjusted velocity encoding on a Siemens MAGNETOM Skyra 3.0T system, the study demonstrated practical acquisition and quantitative hemodynamic assessment capability. The work supports 4D flow MRI as a tool for comprehensive hemodynamic characterization that may improve assessment of complex flow patterns in cardiovascular disease.
Ye Y, Zeng T, Chen Y et al. · Biomedizinische Technik. Biomedical engineering · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Impact of transcatheter aortic valve replacement on blood flow in the ascending aorta and brachiocephalic artery.
This prospective study evaluated how transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) changes blood flow in the ascending aorta (AAo) and brachiocephalic artery (BCA) using 4D flow CMR before and after TAVR, and whether the post-TAVR flow increase depends on pre-TAVR flow rate. By comparing pre- and post-procedural 4D flow measurements in patients treated for aortic stenosis between 2022 and 2023, the study quantified flow-rate changes in these cerebral-supplying vessels and assessed predictors of the magnitude of response. The results inform expectations for hemodynamic improvement after TAVR and may help identify patients who experience smaller or larger post-procedural flow gains.
Yamasaki K, Tsuneta S, Kanaya M et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Trientine for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a phase 2 trial.
This phase 2 clinical trial tested trientine dihydrochloride in people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) to target copper dysregulation affecting mitochondrial function and profibrotic signaling. The study reports efficacy and safety outcomes of trientine based on the trial’s design and endpoints (including effects on myocardial hypertrophy/fibrosis mechanisms described from preclinical work). If effective, trientine would represent a mechanism-based therapy for HCM aimed at copper II chelation and improved intracellular copper I trafficking.
Farrant JP, Dodd S, Rosala-Hallas A et al. · European heart journal · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Arrhythmia risk, electrophysiology & monitoring
Machine learning algorithms for predicting arrhythmic events in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: limited enhancement beyond late gadolinium enhancement.
Using post-hoc data from an international multicenter registry of 531 hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients who underwent CMR, this study trained and evaluated machine learning models that integrated clinical features and CMR variables (including LGE quantified by the +6 SD method) to predict arrhythmic events. The key finding was that adding information beyond standard late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) provided limited incremental predictive value for the composite endpoint of sudden cardiac death, aborted sudden cardiac death, and sustained ventricular tachycardia. Clinically, this suggests that readily available LGE-based CMR features plus clinical variables may be sufficient for risk prediction, simplifying model inputs.
Certo Pereira J, Amador R, Vieira A et al. · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Exercise-Provoked Wide-Complex Tachycardia and Extreme Duke Score: Orthodromic Reciprocating Tachycardia Unmasked by Electrophysiology Study.
This case report described exercise-provoked wide-complex tachycardia in a 44-year-old man with an extreme Duke Treadmill Score, where electrophysiology study revealed orthodromic reciprocating tachycardia due to a concealed left posterior accessory pathway with left bundle branch block–type aberrancy. Despite initial treatment assumptions of ventricular tachycardia, angiography and cardiac magnetic resonance excluded obstructive and structural heart disease, and the definitive diagnosis was made electrophysiologically. The report emphasizes that supraventricular tachycardia with aberrancy can mimic ventricular tachycardia during exercise testing and that electrophysiology study is crucial for correct classification.
Ray N, Petty A, Money D et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Fabry disease cardiomyopathy: Time for a closer heart rhythm monitoring?
This narrative review examined arrhythmia mechanisms and diagnostic limitations for sudden cardiac death risk stratification in patients with Anderson-Fabry disease (Fabry disease cardiomyopathy), focusing on the inadequacy of intermittent monitoring such as 24-hour Holter. The key finding is that standard short-duration monitoring often misses paroxysmal, asymptomatic arrhythmias that may drive lethal events. Scientifically and clinically, the review argues for closer heart rhythm monitoring strategies to close the diagnostic gap in identifying Fabry patients at risk for lethal arrhythmias.
Mugnai G, Genovese D, De Michieli L et al. · Heart failure reviews · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Ventricular Tachycardia in a Young Athlete With Prior Myocarditis and MYL2 Mutation.
This case report evaluated a 23-year-old female athlete with prior myocarditis and a MYL2 mutation who developed polymorphic ventricular tachycardia during return to play. Cardiac magnetic resonance showed subepicardial late gadolinium enhancement consistent with acute myocarditis, and after recovery with activity restriction she later experienced a sustained arrhythmia episode while sprinting. The report highlights the combined arrhythmic risk from myocarditis history and inherited cardiomyopathy genetics (MYL2) in young athletes.
Burka S, Garba D, Barouch LA et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Myocarditis & inflammatory cardiomyopathy (including myocarditis-like cases)
Mesalazine-Induced Myocarditis: A Challenging Diagnostic Journey.
This clinical case report studied mesalazine-induced myocarditis in a patient who developed acute chest pain and elevated cardiac biomarkers shortly after starting mesalazine. Cardiac MRI was pivotal for diagnosis, and prompt discontinuation led to rapid clinical recovery. The report emphasizes early recognition of mesalazine cardiotoxicity using cardiac MRI to prevent progression to severe complications.
Bouayed MZ, Benaini I, Koulali H et al. · Clinical case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
[Diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in pediatric takotsubo syndrome: a case report].
This case report described diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of pediatric takotsubo syndrome in a 15-year-old adolescent with Barlow syndrome and severe mitral regurgitation undergoing mechanical mitral valve replacement. Intraoperative findings suggested endocarditis and were later confirmed after isolation of an organism, illustrating how takotsubo-like presentations can overlap with postoperative infectious etiologies. The report highlights the need for careful multimodal evaluation to avoid misdiagnosis and inappropriate management in children with acute cardiomyopathy.
Maza-Caneva OC, Villa-Vargas RA, Restrepo-Hincapié AC et al. · Archivos de cardiologia de Mexico · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Left-Dominant Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy in a Young Athlete: Silent Danger on the Pitch.
This case report studied left-dominant arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ALVC) in a 21-year-old athlete presenting with neurologic symptoms and chest discomfort. Imaging and biomarkers showed myocarditis-like injury with LV dilation, apical hypokinesia, apical thrombus, and multifocal nonischemic late gadolinium enhancement with edema, with endomyocardial biopsy demonstrating low-grade inflammation and persistent late enhancement despite presumed myocarditis-related stroke. The findings emphasize that ALVC can masquerade as inflammatory myocarditis and can progress with ongoing structural remodeling, informing vigilance for ventricular arrhythmia risk in young athletes.
Esteves S, Cazeiro DI, Guimarães T et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
CMR Findings Across Disease Phases in Takotsubo Syndrome: Insights From the Multicenter EVOLUTION Registry.
This multicenter EVOLUTION registry analysis evaluated how cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) findings in Takotsubo syndrome (TS) vary by disease phase in 439 patients stratified by time from symptom onset to CMR (acute 1–72 hours, subacute 4–21 days, late ≥22 days). CMR abnormalities and tissue characteristics differed across these acquisition windows, reflecting dynamic myocardial changes over the course of TS. Understanding phase-dependent CMR patterns can improve interpretation of imaging, timing of diagnosis, and longitudinal assessment in TS.
Cau R, Luetkens J, Pontone G et al. · The American journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Performance-Enhancing Drug-Associated Myocarditis in a Young Athlete: From Cardiogenic Shock to Clearance.
This JACC Case Reports report describes fulminant myocarditis in a 21-year-old athlete following performance-enhancing drug use, with diagnosis confirmed by cardiac magnetic resonance after normal coronary angiography. The patient progressed to cardiogenic shock requiring inotropes but improved with diuresis and high-dose corticosteroids, followed by a stepwise return-to-exercise plan guided by symptoms, biomarkers, CMR, and exercise testing. The case emphasizes how CMR can support myocarditis diagnosis and safe activity decisions in athletes exposed to performance-enhancing drugs.
Parks EA, Essig J, Pistiolis S · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiomyopathies & inherited/genetic heart disease
Myocardial fat fraction in Becker muscular dystrophy and women carrying pathogenic DMD gene variants assessed by Dixon cardiac MRI.
In a cross-sectional study of 20 patients with Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) and women carrying pathogenic DMD gene variants, the researchers used Dixon cardiac MRI to quantify myocardial fat fraction (FF) and related it to left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), age, and skeletal muscle FF. Myocardial FF was measurable and showed associations with cardiac function and with skeletal muscle fatty replacement measures. These findings suggest that dystrophinopathy-related fatty remodeling extends to the myocardium and that Dixon CMR FF could serve as a noninvasive marker of cardiac involvement.
Lyu Z, Teitsdóttir B, Joensen H et al. · Journal of neuromuscular diseases · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Identifying abnormal patterns of wall shear stress in mild-to-moderate aortic dilation and tricuspid valves using permutation tests.
This article is a clinical diagnostic review that synthesizes major consensus documents and guidelines for diagnosing cardiac sarcoidosis, focusing on how different criteria sets can yield discordant diagnoses. It highlights that no single modality achieves both high sensitivity and specificity and that diagnostic thresholds vary across expert statements. The review is significant because it provides a structured approach for clinicians to integrate imaging, clinical features, and guideline criteria to improve diagnostic accuracy and reduce missed or delayed treatment.
Trenti C, Boito D, Hammaréus F et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
The Innocent Delta Wave in Progressive Cardiomyopathy - Culprit vs Bystander.
This case report studied a 34-year-old man with progressive cardiomyopathy in whom a “delta wave” on ECG was assessed as a potential culprit versus bystander finding in the setting of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and atrial fibrillation. The patient’s course included recurrent palpitations since adolescence, cardioversion for unstable tachycardia, and later an acute ischemic stroke, with ECG showing a short PR interval and ventricular pre-excitation after cardioversion. The report highlights the clinical importance of distinguishing whether pre-excitation/ECG “delta” features reflect the primary arrhythmogenic mechanism in inherited cardiomyopathy syndromes.
Ansari AG, Shanmugam S, Vijay J et al. · The American journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
SMARCA4, STK11, and KEAP1 co-inactivation associates with poor prognosis and upregulation of the TGF-β pathway in lung adenocarcinoma.
This translational oncology study examined lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tumors with co-inactivation of SMARCA4, STK11, and KEAP1 and assessed associations with prognosis and pathway activity. Co-inactivation correlated with poor prognosis and was linked to upregulation of the TGF-β pathway. These results suggest that multigenic loss involving SMARCA4/STK11/KEAP1 may identify a high-risk LUAD subgroup with TGF-β–driven biology that could inform stratification and therapeutic targeting.
Costa EA, Mello BP, Wohlhieter C et al. · Translational oncology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Pleiotropic Phenotype of RYR2 Exon 3 Deletion: Biventricular Noncompaction and Malignant Arrhythmias.
This JACC Case Reports article described a 33-year-old woman with an RYR2 exon 3 deletion (E3DS) and studied the resulting phenotype across electrophysiology and cardiac structure. She developed biventricular noncompaction, sinus node dysfunction, nonsustained polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, and postpartum persistent bradyarrhythmia, with electrophysiology showing complete supranodal atrioventricular block and extensive right atrial low-voltage areas confirmed by cardiac MRI. The case underscores that RYR2 E3DS can present with both structural cardiomyopathy and malignant conduction/arrhythmia manifestations, informing risk awareness and management in ryanodinopathy.
Faucher L, Cardi T, Fitouchi S et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Clinical spectrum and ascertainment pathways in pediatric female dystrophinopathy.
This single-center retrospective case series studied the clinical spectrum and ascertainment pathways of pediatric female dystrophinopathy in 35 girls with genetically confirmed DMD gene variants. It characterized how children were identified either through symptom-driven presentation or via cross-sectional evaluation, and assessed subclinical muscle involvement and inheritance patterns. The findings improve understanding of how dystrophinopathy presents in girls and how different ascertainment routes affect observed clinical severity and diagnostic yield.
Jiao H, Bai J, Li P et al. · Italian journal of pediatrics · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Clinical phenotype and outcomes of low-risk HCM patients who maintained stable exercise habits during follow-up.
This study evaluated clinical phenotype and follow-up outcomes in 253 low-risk patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) stratified by reliably documented, stable exercise habits (sedentary, mild <30 METs/week, or vigorous) during follow-up. Patients who maintained regular exercise showed a more favorable clinical phenotype and better follow-up outcomes than sedentary counterparts within the low-risk HCM group. These findings suggest that sustained exercise behavior may identify a subgroup of low-risk HCM patients with improved prognostic profile, informing risk stratification and lifestyle counseling.
Pelliccia A, Ferrera A, Daniello CD et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Reverse Remodeling in Pediatric Myocarditis With DCM Phenotype Impact of rASD and PAB.
This study assessed reverse remodeling in 31 children <3 years with biopsy-proven myocarditis and a dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) phenotype, evaluating a staged, pathophysiology-guided strategy combining left atrial decompression and pulmonary artery banding (PAB). The key finding was that the staged approach enabled myocardial recovery/reverse remodeling in selected infants and young children, with outcomes influenced by the presence/characteristics of rASD (residual atrial septal defect) and PAB-related factors. Clinically, this supports an early, targeted surgical strategy to leverage pediatric myocardial regenerative capacity and reduce progression to end-stage heart failure.
Logeswaran T, Akintürk H, Schranz D et al. · JACC. Advances · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Syncope and Scar in a Former Elite Basketball Player.
This case report studied an athlete with myocardial inflammation that ultimately revealed an inherited desmosomal cardiomyopathy, integrating cardiac MRI, endomyocardial biopsy, and genetic testing. The key finding was acute lymphocytic myocarditis on biopsy together with a likely pathogenic PKP2 gene variant, linking inflammatory presentation to arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy biology. Scientifically, it underscores that myocarditis-like findings in athletes can unmask genetic cardiomyopathies and should prompt genetic evaluation.
Garba DL, Aronis KN, Barouch LA et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Severe Left Ventricular Dilation With Preserved Contractile Reserve in an Adolescent Elite Athlete.
This case report studied severe left ventricular (LV) dilation with preserved contractile reserve in an 18-year-old male elite basketball athlete presenting with exertional palpitations and atrial fibrillation. Multimodality cardiovascular testing (including echocardiography with tissue Doppler and cardiac magnetic resonance) showed marked LV dilation (indexed end-diastolic volume 156 mL/m2) with moderately reduced ejection fraction (35%–40%) and supraphysiologic diastolic tissue Doppler velocities, supporting a difficult distinction between physiologic athletic remodeling and early cardiomyopathy. Clinically, it highlights how advanced imaging and functional assessment can uncover cardiomyopathy risk in athletes who maintain high performance yet show electrical instability.
Mutebi C, Chukwurah M, Chukumerije MT et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Vascular changes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
This review synthesized human evidence on vascular changes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), focusing on (micro)vascular dysfunction and structural vascular remodeling across disease severity. It links impaired vascular function to disease progression, including fibrosis development and clinical outcomes, and summarizes assessment modalities used in patients. The review highlights vascular biology as a potential driver of HCM progression and a target for future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Visch JE, Nassar A, Burchell G et al. · Cardiovascular research · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI as surveillance and risk stratification of arrhythmogenic foci in long-chain hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency.
This case report used serial cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) to surveil a 22-year-old woman with long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency for subclinical cardiac involvement. Despite stable myocardial scar burden and preserved ventricular function, CMR showed evolving septal hypertrophy over time. The report supports CMR as a sensitive tool for early detection and longitudinal monitoring of arrhythmogenic substrates in fatty-acid oxidation disorders.
Kantheti H, Natarajan R, Yuvaraj R et al. · Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical Center) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction & diastolic dysfunction
Feasibility of early detection of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in hypertensive patients using four-dimensional flow cardiac magnetic resonance.
This retrospective study tested whether early left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) in hypertensive patients—both with and without left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH)—can be detected using 4D flow cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in 66 hypertension patients and 30 matched healthy controls. 4D flow–derived left ventricular kinetic energy (KE) parameters differed between LVDD and non-LVDD groups (as defined by multiparametric echocardiography including E/e’, E/A, and LA diameter), indicating that 4D flow CMR can identify early diastolic impairment. These findings suggest a noninvasive imaging pathway for earlier LVDD detection in hypertension, potentially before overt clinical deterioration.
Peng K, Zhao J, Wang Z et al. · European journal of radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Understanding HFpEF Through Imaging: Strengths, Limitations, and Current State of the Art.
This JACC Cardiovascular Imaging State-of-the-Art review summarized how to understand heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) using imaging, focusing on echocardiography and other noninvasive modalities and their relationship to invasive hemodynamics. The key message is that HFpEF pathophysiology extends beyond isolated diastolic dysfunction and that current noninvasive resting indices can miss disease because diastolic pressures may be normal at rest. The review highlights multimodality imaging strategies to better capture exercise- and congestion-related mechanisms, improving diagnostic accuracy and guiding future clinical workflows.
Harada T, Naser JA, Ghanbari F et al. · JACC. Cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in women with ischemia and no obstructive coronary artery disease: The women’s ischemia syndrome evaluation - Coronary microvascular dysfunction study (WISE-CVD).
This study evaluated whether coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) contributes to elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) in 253 women with ischemia and no obstructive coronary artery disease (INOCA) using invasive coronary functional testing (CFT) and, in a subset, cardiac MRI (CMRI). Women with CMD had resting LVEDP elevations consistent with impaired LV relaxation as a mechanism for higher LVEDP. These findings support a CMD–diastolic dysfunction pathway that may help refine risk assessment and HFpEF phenotyping in INOCA patients.
Ranasinghe S, Tjoe B, Chang J et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Ischemic heart disease, coronary microvascular dysfunction & thrombus
Determinants, risk score, and prognostic implications of left ventricular thrombus in ischemic cardiomyopathy assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance: a retrospective cohort study.
This retrospective cohort study evaluated determinants of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)-detected left ventricular thrombus (LVT) in 790 patients with chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy (LVEF <50%, ischemic etiology, >40 days post–myocardial infarction) and developed a CMR-based LVT risk score to assess prognosis. CMR-detected LVT was associated with worse major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), and the study identified specific CMR/clinical factors that improved risk stratification via the proposed LVT score. These findings support using CMR to identify chronic ischemic patients at high thromboembolic risk and to guide closer surveillance or preventive strategies.
Aramcharoen C, Buraphat P, Wanitanantakun T et al. · Annals of medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Stress CMR ischemic burden and long-term mortality in left ventricular systolic dysfunction: a multicenter registry study.
This multicenter registry study analyzed consecutive patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (CMR-derived LVEF <50%) who underwent vasodilator stress perfusion CMR at three French centers from 2008–2024, with all-cause mortality as the primary endpoint. Stress CMR ischemic burden and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) provided incremental prognostic value for long-term mortality beyond clinical factors and LVEF. The results reinforce stress CMR as a powerful tool for refining prognosis in LV systolic dysfunction and for identifying patients who may benefit from intensified management.
Pfeffer A, Garot J, Duhamel S et al. · European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Coronary Intramural Hematoma in a Young Athlete After Direct Ball Impact to the Chest.
This case report studied coronary intramural hematoma (IMH) after blunt chest trauma in a 19-year-old competitive athlete. Following sudden retrosternal chest pain after intense exertion and direct ball impact, troponin peaked at 20,400 ng/L; coronary angiography showed a nonobstructive ostial LAD lesion, while cardiac magnetic resonance demonstrated near-transmural ischemic injury with microvascular obstruction and coronary CT angiography showed hyperdense mural thickening with positive remodeling. The findings highlight that IMH can present with acute coronary syndrome physiology after sports trauma and that CMR/CT can characterize injury and vessel wall pathology even when angiography is nonobstructive.
Sakhi H, Kalifa L, Fradi S et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac masses, tumors & rare structural lesions
Shortness of Breath Due to a Large Spontaneous Left Atrial Intramural Hematoma.
This JACC Case Reports article described a 58-year-old man with acute severe shortness of breath in whom cardiac MRI characterized a large spontaneous left atrial intramural hematoma (LAIH) using T1/T2 signal characteristics and lack of enhancement on first-pass and late gadolinium enhancement. The key finding was that surgical exploration confirmed the LAIH diagnosis after imaging suggested it was very likely. The case emphasizes the value of cardiac MRI for differentiating LAIH from other left atrial masses and guiding appropriate management.
Mulder AAW, Vergeer D, Olsthoorn JR et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Mitral Valve Blood Cyst Discovered as an Incidentaloma in Trauma Evaluation.
This case report studied a congenital mitral valve blood cyst discovered incidentally during trauma evaluation in a 31-year-old woman. After stab wounds, CT suggested pneumopericardium and a possible LV thrombus/laceration, while transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography characterized a 2.0 × 1.5 cm cystic mass attached to the ventricular aspect of the A2/A3 mitral scallops. The report is significant because it shows how multimodality echocardiography can differentiate rare benign valvular cysts from thrombus or malignancy in acute trauma settings.
Bravo F, Ref J, Pullela N et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Leiomyosarcoma First Signaled by Chest Pain: Beyond Angina.
This case report studied a primary cardiac malignancy—high-grade left atrial leiomyosarcoma with myxoid features—presenting as chest pain and severe mitral stenosis physiology in a 49-year-old man. Imaging was discordant (MRI favored a benign mass while echocardiography favored malignancy), and final pathology confirmed high-grade left atrial leiomyosarcoma with myxoid features. Clinically, it underscores that rare cardiac tumors can mimic benign lesions and that multimodality imaging plus pathology is essential when functional severity and imaging findings conflict.
Shakfeh K, Suma V, El Khoury G et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Long-Term Survival With Left Ventricular Aneurysm: The Cardiac Ball That Didn’t Burst.
This case report studied long-term survival with a giant left ventricular aneurysm (LVA) in a 58-year-old man with ischemic cardiomyopathy and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Multimodality imaging (transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance) confirmed a giant inferolateral LVA measuring 12.0 × 8.6 × 7.2 cm after incidental detection on chest x-ray, and surgery was recommended but declined. The case is significant because it documents an unusual clinical course and reinforces the need to weigh risks and benefits of intervention in large LVA despite potential for heart failure, arrhythmias, and thromboembolism.
Encarnación-Martínez U, Arriaga-Páez F, Guillén-Ortiz CA et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Valvular heart disease & regurgitation quantification
Quantification of Single Valve Regurgitation in the Pediatric Population Using 3-Dimensional Echocardiography: Reproducibility and Comparison with Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
This pediatric cardiology study compared quantification of single-valve regurgitation fraction (RF) using 3-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) versus cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in patients under 18 years with mild single-valve regurgitation and biventricular circulation. 3DE-based RF quantification showed reproducibility and agreement with CMR measurements. The findings support 3DE as a feasible, radiation-free alternative to CMR for estimating single-valve regurgitation in children when CMR is impractical.
Kuebler JD, Moleon-Shea M, Lu M et al. · Pediatric cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Pericardial disease & anti-inflammatory therapy
Recurrent Pericarditis in a Rugby Player: Imaging-Guided Therapy.
This case report studied recurrent pericarditis in a 26-year-old rugby player after atrial septal defect repair using imaging-guided treatment. The patient achieved remission on the IL-1 pathway inhibitor rilonacept after cardiac magnetic resonance showed moderate pericardial late gadolinium enhancement and a high pericarditis risk score, but relapsed 11 months after tapering despite normal inflammatory biomarkers and only mild residual late enhancement at taper initiation. The case supports using CMR findings to guide tapering decisions and demonstrates that IL-1 blockade may need re-initiation when subclinical disease persists.
Abuawad A, Badwan O, Ehsan M et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Return-to-play (athletes) & sports cardiology decision-making
Premature Ventricular Contractions as a Result of Subacute Myocarditis in a Professional Football Player.
This case report studied return-to-play (RTP) decision-making in a 33-year-old professional football player with premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and atypical chest pain, using ECG, cardiac MRI with late gadolinium enhancement, and positron emission tomography. The key finding was imaging consistent with possible subacute myocarditis despite a normal PET scan, leading to a 2–3 month rest period and guideline-directed medical therapy. The report highlights how multimodality testing can inform safer RTP and risk stratification when myocarditis is suspected.
Pirquet C, Underberg D, Osler B et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Right Atrial Mass in an Adolescent With a Complex Hematologic History: What Is the Diagnosis?
This case report evaluated syncope and scar-related cardiomyopathy in a 47-year-old former elite basketball player using biomarkers, coronary angiography, cardiac MRI, and electrophysiology testing. The key finding was an inferolateral myocardial scar consistent with prior myocarditis with inducible ventricular tachycardia, prompting implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement. Clinically, it supports using CMR scar characterization plus electrophysiology to guide device therapy in athletes with unexplained syncope.
Almasri M, Dalby S, Stallings-Archer K et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Physiologic Unmasking of an Anomalous Right Coronary Artery in a Competitive Lacrosse Athlete.
This case report studied physiologic unmasking of an anomalous right coronary artery (ARCA) with interarterial and intramural course in an 18-year-old competitive lacrosse athlete. Despite normal resting ECG, cardiac magnetic resonance, and nuclear stress testing, baseline echocardiography raised suspicion and coronary computed tomography angiography confirmed the high-risk anatomic course, with symptoms emerging during exertion. Scientifically and clinically, it illustrates that routine testing may miss exertional limitation in well-conditioned athletes and that CT angiography can be decisive when echocardiography suggests ARCA.
Chukwurah MI, Akele O, Bhatia R et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Differentiating an Athlete’s Heart and Cardiomyopathy: Role of Advanced Cardiac Imaging.
This case report studied diagnostic differentiation between an athlete’s heart and cardiomyopathy in a 37-year-old male endurance athlete with incidental cardiac enlargement on a coronary calcium scan. While ECG and echocardiography suggested exercise-induced physiologic remodeling, cardiac magnetic resonance revealed multifocal myocardial scarring concerning for cardiomyopathy, prompting comprehensive further evaluation. The significance is that advanced cardiac imaging (CMR scar assessment) can resolve uncertainty when standard screening tests cannot reliably distinguish adaptive remodeling from early disease.
Jilani T, Khan S, Fakikh Y et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Public health & epidemiology (cardiovascular outcomes)
Ischemic heart disease mortality with documented tobacco use in the United States, 1999-2023: a nationwide population-based analysis.
This nationwide population-based analysis studied ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality trends in U.S. adults (≥25 years) with documented tobacco use disorder from 1999–2023 using CDC mortality data. Using ICD-10 I20–I25 for IHD and ICD-10 F17 as a contributing cause, the study estimated age-adjusted mortality rates and quantified temporal trends with joinpoint regression (APC/AAPC). The results provide evidence on how tobacco-associated IHD mortality has changed over time, informing public health priorities for smoking cessation and risk reduction.
Ibrahim AA, Tariq Z, Samad A et al. · Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Population aging and changes in mortality from four major noncommunicable diseases in Suzhou, China: a population-based study from 2000 to 2020.
This population-based study analyzed how population aging affected mortality trends from four major noncommunicable diseases—cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes—in Suzhou, China from 2000 to 2020. Using household-registered population data and death records, the study quantified crude and age-standardized mortality rates (Segi world standard), years of life lost (YLL), and premature mortality to assess temporal changes alongside shifts in age structure. The significance is that it provides local evidence on whether aging is driving NCD mortality changes, informing public health planning and resource allocation for chronic disease prevention and control.
Huang C, Bai M, Hua Y et al. · BMC public health · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Environmental health & toxicology
Mapping chemical footprints: A baseline assessment for organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in coastal sediments of Greece (eastern Mediterranean Sea).
This study assessed baseline environmental contamination by organochlorine pesticides (24 analytes) and polychlorinated biphenyls (25 analytes) in coastal sediments across 48 sites in Greece using chemical analysis of surface sediments collected in March 2023 and March 2024. It provided a comprehensive overview of pollution levels and likely sources for these persistent, bioaccumulative compounds in the eastern Mediterranean. The results establish a reference dataset that can support future monitoring and source attribution for long-term marine ecosystem risk.
Parinos C, Skavantzou T, Plakidi E et al. · Marine pollution bulletin · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Generated automatically on July 22, 2026. Covers PubMed articles published July 15, 2026 – July 22, 2026. Summaries are AI-generated; always consult the original publication for clinical or research decisions.