What's New in Cardiac MRI? — July 25, 2026
AI-summarised digest of 42 PubMed articles on Cardiac MRI published in the last 7 days.
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What’s New in Cardiac MRI?
July 25, 2026 · 42 articles · 15 research themes · covering July 18, 2026 – July 25, 2026
Overview
This week’s cardiovascular literature is dominated by a push toward more precise risk stratification using advanced cardiac imaging—especially CMR—paired with better phenotyping of complex cardiomyopathies. Multiple studies focus on how specific structural or functional features (e.g., myocardial fat or native T1 changes, LGE patterns, right-sided involvement, and RA–RV coupling) relate to prognosis in conditions such as dystrophinopathy, apical HCM, peripartum cardiomyopathy, and functional tricuspid regurgitation. Together, these papers reinforce a theme: “subclinical” or “early” disease signals are often detectable before overt dysfunction, and imaging biomarkers can help identify who needs closer monitoring.
A second major thread is improving diagnostic accuracy when ECG or symptoms can mislead—particularly for rare or high-risk arrhythmia substrates. Case reports highlight uncommon presentations (apical HCM mimicking ACS, anomalous coronary anatomy presenting with exertional VT, delta-wave patterns signaling inherited cardiomyopathy with conduction disease, and delayed stent-related inflammatory fistula). Complementing these, reviews emphasize that some diagnoses (e.g., cardiac sarcoidosis) cannot rely on a single modality, and that multimodality strategies are required to balance sensitivity and specificity.
Finally, the digest includes methodological and translational advances that support the imaging-and-risk paradigm: from AI/ML and segmentation/reconstruction pipelines that aim to make imaging more scalable and reproducible, to physics and basic science work that probes mechanisms underlying cardiometabolic and magnetoresistive switching. Outside cardiology, the set also spans public health mortality trend analyses (tobacco use disorder; diabetes with cerebrovascular disease) and a clinical primer on eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases—both underscoring how careful classification and measurement drive better prevention and treatment decisions.
Cardiomyopathy phenotyping & prognosis (CMR/echo/strain)
Prognostic value of late gadolinium enhancement in peripartum cardiomyopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the prognostic significance of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). It pooled evidence from studies linking LGE to outcomes such as reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), arrhythmias, heart failure decompensation, device implantation, transplantation, and mortality. If LGE consistently predicts worse outcomes, it would support using CMR LGE for risk stratification in PPCM to guide monitoring and management.
Nurhafizah A, Huang W, Kezia C et al. · Future cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Terahertz-Nanoscale Visualization of the Microscopic Spin-Charge Architecture of Colossal Magnetoresistive Switching.
This physics study used a custom cryogenic cryogenic magneto-THz scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (cm-THz-sSNOM) technique to visualize terahertz (THz) spin-charge dynamics during the colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) switching transition in a nanoscale system. The key advance was resolving near-field THz spectroscopic evolution associated with sub-10 nm spin switching under simultaneous high magnetic field and cryogenic conditions. Scientifically, this enables direct mapping of local THz electrodynamics during magnetoresistive switching, informing fundamental limits and design of spin-electronic devices.
Haeuser S, Chan RK, Kim RHJ et al. · Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Exercise-Induced Ventricular Tachycardia Unmasking High-Risk Anomalous Right Coronary Artery in an Adult.
This JACC Case Reports article studied a 43-year-old adult with exercise-induced symptoms in whom exercise stress testing unmasked ventricular tachycardia (VT) associated with a high-risk anomalous right coronary artery (AAOCA). Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) identified the anomalous right coronary artery arising from the left sino—consistent with an anatomic substrate for ischemia and arrhythmia. The significance is that exertional VT/ectopy in adults should prompt evaluation for AAOCA using advanced coronary imaging to prevent sudden cardiac death.
Eisa A, Rashwan R, Aldarab’ah FM et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases.
This Nature Reviews Disease Primers article studied eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGID), including eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), eosinophilic gastritis, enteritis, and colitis, defined by eosinophilic inflammation without secondary causes. It summarizes diagnostic considerations and differential diagnoses, explicitly listing secondary causes such as parasitic infections, medications, vasculitis, allergic syndromes, hematologic conditions, and other inflammatory diseases. The clinical significance is improved recognition and workup of EGID to ensure appropriate therapy and avoid misattribution of eosinophilia to secondary causes.
Lenti MV, Rossi CM, Dellon ES et al. · Nature reviews. Disease primers · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Myocardial Native T1 Mapping in the German National Cohort (NAKO): Associations with Age, Sex, and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors.
This cross-sectional population-based study in 29,573 participants from the German National Cohort (NAKO) examined how age, sex, and cardiometabolic risk factors relate to myocardial native T1 mapping measured at the midventricular level by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). Native T1 values showed significant associations with age/sex and with cardiometabolic risk factors, supporting native T1 as a marker of subclinical myocardial target-organ involvement. These findings strengthen the scientific basis for using native T1 mapping in large-scale, non-invasive cardiovascular risk stratification and longitudinal prevention research.
Ammann C, Gröschel J, Saad H et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Targeted Flow Cardiac MRI in Neonates with Intracardiac Shunts: A Novel Multi-Modality Imaging Approach to Hemodynamic Assessment.
In neonates with suspected pulmonary hypertension and intracardiac shunts, this initial clinical experience evaluated targeted flow cardiac MRI to non-invasively estimate Qp:Qs hemodynamics using no, minimal, or baseline sedation. The study demonstrated feasibility of targeted flow MRI for Qp:Qs assessment in this high-risk infant population. This approach could improve differentiation of pulmonary vascular resistance versus intracardiac shunt contributions and reduce reliance on invasive catheter-based hemodynamics.
Simpkin CT, Taylor AC, MacLean J et al. · The Journal of pediatrics · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Specificity of the Occlusion Myocardial Infarction-Trained PMcardio “Queen of Hearts” AI-ECG in Inflammatory Myopericardial Syndromes.
This single-center retrospective study assessed the ECG-level specificity of the occlusion myocardial infarction (OMI)-trained PMcardio “Queen of Hearts” (QoH) AI-ECG model in emergency department patients with adjudicated inflammatory myopericardial syndromes (IMPS) from 2010–2025. The AI model’s OMI classification specificity was evaluated specifically in IMPS, where ECG patterns can mimic OMI and trigger unnecessary catheterization laboratory activation. Clinically, improved specificity in this setting could reduce inappropriate invasive workups while maintaining safe triage for true OMI.
Bennar W, Garin D, Saidi RM et al. · JACC. Advances · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
The Role of Echocardiography in the Assessment of Epicardial Adipose Tissue: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized evidence on whether transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) can validly assess epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) compared with volumetric reference standards such as cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) or cardiac computed tomography (cCT). Across included studies, the review evaluated TTE’s performance as a surrogate for volumetric EAT quantification and its potential broader clinical role in cardiometabolic risk assessment. Establishing TTE validity would enable more accessible, radiation-free EAT phenotyping for preventive and longitudinal cardiovascular studies.
Pala B, Piscione M, Cribari F et al. · Current obesity reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Phase-contrast cardiac MRI assessment of aortic reservoir-flow coupling across adult age groups.
This single-center observational study of 252 adults undergoing phase-contrast cardiac MRI on a 3.0-T Siemens MAGNETOM Skyra scanner quantified aortic reservoir-flow coupling across age groups (18–33, 34–60, and >60 years). The analysis characterized how phase-contrast-derived coupling metrics vary with adult aging, reflecting age-related aortic remodeling and changes in stroke-volume input and regional flow organization. These results support phase-contrast MRI as a quantitative tool for mechanistic, age-stratified assessment of aortic function relevant to cardiovascular risk.
Lv J, Ye Y, Zeng T et al. · Biomedizinische Technik. Biomedical engineering · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Phenotypic Expansion of GYG1-Related Disease Presenting as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy With Brugada Phenocopy.
This case report described a 31-year-old man with glycogen storage disease type XV (GSD-XV) caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in GYG1, presenting with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy features and a Brugada phenocopy. The patient’s ECG showed a spontaneous Type-1 Brugada pattern with complete right bundle branch block, echocardiography showed nonobstructive LV hypertrophy with preserved ejection fraction, and speckle-tracking revealed markedly reduced global longitudinal strain. The report expands the phenotypic spectrum of GYG1-related disease and highlights the need to consider rare metabolic cardiomyopathies in Brugada-like presentations.
Arat N, Cetincelik U, Gülten ZA et al. · American journal of medical genetics. Part A · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
SCMR Survey of Centers Performing CMR in Pediatric/Congenital Heart Disease: 2024 Update.
This SCMR survey updated practice patterns for cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in pediatric and congenital heart disease (CHD) by collecting one response per center from SCMR members in 2024 (with prior 2014 and 2018 survey comparisons). The study quantified center participation and reported trends in the median annual number of pediatric/CHD CMR cases and related practice characteristics over time. These data inform how CMR capacity and workflows are evolving, guiding future standardization and resource planning for pediatric/CHD imaging.
Buddhe S, Soriano BD, Wilson HC et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Comparison of semi-automatic myocardial scar segmentation methods on black-blood late gadolinium enhancement images.
This study compared semi-automatic myocardial scar segmentation methods using co-registered bright-blood and black-blood late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) images in 20 patients with ischemic heart disease. The authors evaluated segmentation performance across semi-automatic algorithms on black-blood LGE, aiming to reduce manual, operator-dependent scar quantification time. If robust, these methods could improve reproducibility and scalability of scar quantification for prognosis and treatment planning.
Génisson T, Narceau K, Richard T et al. · Magnetic resonance imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
The Future of Imaging in Heart Failure: Toward Precision Phenotyping, Integration, and Intelligence.
This narrative review summarized emerging imaging approaches in heart failure, focusing on precision phenotyping, integration across modalities, and the role of intelligence/AI in clinical workflows. It highlighted recent advances such as AI-enabled echocardiography automation and acquisition guidance to move from descriptive, modality-siloed imaging toward predictive, patient-specific assessment. The review frames how integrated imaging and AI could improve etiologic classification and individualized management in heterogeneous heart failure populations.
Hundertmark MJ · Current heart failure reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Atypical Pediatric Presentation of Takotsubo Syndrome.
This JACC Case Reports article described a 17-year-old boy with an atypical pediatric presentation of Takotsubo syndrome (TS) following emotional distress and exertion. Despite ST-segment elevation and markedly elevated troponin with apical wall motion abnormalities, coronary angiography was normal and cardiac MRI confirmed apical hypokinesis with myocardial edema and late gadolinium enhancement, alongside severe hyperglycemia consistent with new-onset type 2 diabetes. The case emphasizes that pediatric TS can present atypically and may be associated with acute metabolic derangements, supporting MRI-based confirmation when coronary disease is excluded.
Kash B, Nguyen A, Robinson J et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
A Slc5a6-deficient mouse model reveals metabolically driven cardiomyopathy with therapeutic potential for vitamin-based intervention.
This study investigated how loss of the SLC5A6 gene (encoding the sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter for biotin and pantothenic acid) causes cardiomyopathy, using cardiac-specific SLC5A6 knockout (Slc5a6cKO) mice and human SLC5A6-mutant families. Slc5a6cKO mice developed progressive dilated cardiomyopathy with impaired coenzyme A synthesis and metabolic derangements, and vitamin supplementation showed therapeutic potential to mitigate disease progression. These findings support a metabolically driven mechanism for SLC5A6-related dilated cardiomyopathy and suggest vitamin-based intervention as a targeted treatment strategy.
Fullerton MO, Phillips LC, Redgrave RE et al. · JCI insight · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Incremental Diagnostic Value of Right Atrial Strain in Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy: A Cardiac MRI Study.
This cardiac MRI study evaluated right atrial (RA) phasic strain metrics in 38 ARVC patients with preserved right ventricular (RV) function, 38 ARVC patients with reduced RV function, and 38 healthy controls. ARVC patients with preserved RV function already showed impaired RA reservoir and conduit strain and reduced RA passive emptying fraction despite normal RA systolic strain. The results suggest RA strain can provide incremental diagnostic discrimination in early ARVC before overt RV dysfunction, potentially improving risk stratification and detection.
Xu W, Zhao J, Song Y et al. · Academic radiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Demographic and regional disparities in co-occurring diabetes and cerebrovascular disease mortality: A 24-year national retrospective analysis.
This 24-year retrospective analysis used CDC WONDER death records to quantify U.S. mortality trends for diabetes mellitus (DM) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and to identify demographic and geographic disparities. Mortality associated with co-occurring DM and CVD varied over time and differed across population subgroups and regions, highlighting groups at higher risk. The findings support targeted public health interventions aimed at preventing and managing DM-related cerebrovascular complications.
Faheem MSB, Hassan ST, Asghar T et al. · Journal of the National Medical Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Validation of Feature-Tracking Cardiac CT for Left Ventricular Strain Assessment in Pediatric Acute Myocarditis: Comparison With Cardiac MRI.
This study validated feature-tracking cardiac CT (FT-CCT) for left ventricular (LV) strain in 45 children with acute myocarditis by comparing FT-CCT strain (GLS, GCS, radial) against cardiac MRI (CMR) as the reference. FT-CCT demonstrated strong intermodality agreement with CMR and showed diagnostic performance for detecting late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), with analysis of how heart rate affected measurements. Clinically, FT-CCT could enable pragmatic LV strain assessment when CMR is delayed after clinically indicated CCTA.
Yang L, Cao Y, Peng Y · Journal of computer assisted tomography · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Machine learning algorithms for predicting arrhythmic events in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: limited enhancement beyond late gadolinium enhancement.
This machine-learning study developed and tested a model to predict arrhythmic events in 531 hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients using clinical, echocardiographic, and CMR variables including LGE quantified by the +6 SD method. The key finding was that adding machine-learning features beyond standard LGE did not substantially improve prediction of the composite endpoint of sudden cardiac death, aborted SCD, or sustained ventricular tachycardia. Scientifically, this suggests that conventional LGE-based risk stratification may capture most prognostic signal for arrhythmic events in HCM, limiting incremental value of broader ML feature sets.
Certo Pereira J, Amador R, Vieira A et al. · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Feasibility of 12-lead ECG reconstruction at rest and during adenosine stress perfusion inside a 3-Tesla MR scanner.
This feasibility study assessed whether 12-lead ECGs can be reconstructed inside a 3-T MR scanner at rest and during adenosine stress perfusion. Using MR-safe electrode patches plus artifact-removal post-processing, the investigators reconstructed in-bore 12-lead ECGs before and during adenosine infusion and evaluated accuracy against reference ECGs recorded outside the MR environment. If validated clinically, this approach could enable ischemia monitoring and ECG-based assessment during MR stress testing without MR-incompatible hardware.
Falconer D, Mehri M, Bhiri M et al. · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Influence of left bundle branch block on left atrial strain parameters in patients with ischaemic and non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy.
This retrospective single-center cMRI study examined how left bundle branch block (LBBB) affects left atrial (LA) strain parameters in 20 controls without DCM/LBBB, 21 patients with LBBB without DCM, 20 patients with DCM without LBBB, and 20 patients with both DCM and LBBB. LBBB presence altered LA strain measurements assessed semi-automatically using cvi42® and Segment® software, indicating that conduction abnormalities confound LA strain interpretation in dilated cardiomyopathy. The findings are clinically important because LA strain is used for prognosis in DCM, and LBBB may require adjustment or stratification when interpreting cMRI-derived LA metrics.
Petersen A, Kamieniarz P, Meteva D et al. · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (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 evaluated whether stress CMR ischemic burden adds prognostic value for long-term all-cause mortality in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVEF <50%). Across consecutive patients undergoing vasodilator stress perfusion CMR at three French centers (2008–2024), ischemia and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) were analyzed in multivariable Cox models for incremental risk prediction beyond clinical factors and LVEF. The study supports the use of stress CMR ischemic and scar information to improve mortality risk stratification in LV systolic dysfunction.
Pfeffer A, Garot J, Duhamel S et al. · European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
RACI: A Novel Prognostic Marker in Functional Tricuspid Regurgitation.
This study introduced and tested the right atrioventricular coupling index (RACI)—the ratio of right atrial to right ventricular end-diastolic volume on cardiac MRI—as a prognostic marker in 633 patients with moderate-to-severe functional tricuspid regurgitation. Patients with high RACI (≥0.62) had worse outcomes than those with normal RACI (<0.62), with all-cause mortality as the primary endpoint. The results suggest RACI captures RA–RV hemodynamic interplay and may refine prognostication in functional TR beyond conventional imaging measures.
Zhang RS, Falco G, Li E et al. · Circulation. Cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Diagnostic Approach to Cardiac Sarcoidosis.
This article reviewed the diagnostic challenges of cardiac sarcoidosis, emphasizing that it can be classified as either infiltrative or inflammatory cardiomyopathy and carries high risk for arrhythmias, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death. It highlighted that no single diagnostic modality achieves both high sensitivity and specificity and that major consensus documents use differing thresholds that can yield discordant diagnoses. The review underscores the need for multimodality diagnostic strategies and careful application of consensus criteria to improve diagnostic accuracy and clinical decision-making.
Lehtonen J, Birnie DH · Circulation · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Multimodality Imaging-Based Phenotyping and Prognostic Implications of Right Ventricular Involvement in Apical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
This retrospective study evaluated whether right ventricular (RV) involvement predicts outcomes in 289 patients with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and strain echocardiography, stratified into purely apical, mixed, and RV-involvement morphological subtypes. Patients with RV involvement had worse prognosis on a composite cardiovascular (CV) events endpoint, and imaging-based phenotyping provided incremental prognostic value beyond morphology alone. These findings support using multimodality CMR/strain phenotyping to risk-stratify apical HCM patients with RV involvement for more intensive clinical management.
Kwak S, Kim J, Jeong MH et al. · JACC. Asia · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Identifying abnormal patterns of wall shear stress in mild-to-moderate aortic dilation and tricuspid valves using permutation tests.
This study assessed whether permutation testing can identify regional differences in aortic wall shear stress (WSS) patterns derived from 4D flow MRI between 46 patients with mild-to-moderate ascending aortic dilation with tricuspid valves and matched controls. Permutation tests enabled statistically robust patch-wise comparisons while addressing multiple-testing multiplicity across the WSS map. The approach improves the reliability of WSS-based imaging biomarkers for characterizing hemodynamic risk in early aortic dilation.
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 ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Interventional Cardiac Magnetic Resonance-Guided Flutter Ablation: Technical Evolution and Procedural Insights from Early Clinical Use.
This single-center retrospective report studied feasibility, efficiency, and outcomes of interventional cardiac MRI (iCMR)-guided cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) ablation in 35 consecutive patients using a 1.5T MRI scanner with an active catheter. iCMR-guided CTI ablation was technically feasible and produced clinically acceptable procedural performance and early arrhythmia outcomes in this early clinical cohort. Radiation-free, real-time soft-tissue visualization with iCMR could expand safer catheter ablation workflows, particularly for right-sided atrial flutter.
Hopman LHGA, Mahmoodi S, van Luijk RD et al. · Heart rhythm · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
The Innocent Delta Wave in Progressive Cardiomyopathy - Culprit vs Bystander.
This case report described a 34-year-old man with progressive cardiomyopathy and an “innocent delta wave,” ultimately presenting with atrial fibrillation (AF) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) phenotype plus conduction disease and an acute ischemic stroke, with a family history of HCM and high-grade conduction disease. The clinical course highlighted that seemingly benign pre-excitation/ECG findings can be a marker of underlying inherited cardiomyopathy with malignant arrhythmia risk. Clinicians should treat delta-wave patterns in the context of HCM/conduction disease as potentially high-risk rather than incidental.
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 investigated lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients with co-inactivation of SMARCA4, STK11, and KEAP1 and tested whether these multigenic alterations associate with prognosis and TGF-β pathway activation. Co-inactivation correlated with poor prognosis and increased upregulation of the TGF-β pathway compared with other genetic contexts. These results suggest that SMARCA4/STK11/KEAP1 co-loss defines a high-risk LUAD subgroup with pathway-level therapeutic implications.
Costa EA, Mello BP, Wohlhieter C et al. · Translational oncology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Quantification of Single Valve Regurgitation in the Pediatric Population Using 3-Dimensional Echocardiography: Reproducibility and Comparison with Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
This pediatric study compared regurgitation fraction (RF) quantification for single-valve regurgitation using 3-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) versus cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) as the reference standard in children and adolescents under 18 years with mild single-valve regurgitation and biventricular circulation. 3DE-derived RF showed good reproducibility and agreement with CMR measurements, supporting 3DE as a practical alternative when CMR is not feasible. Reliable single-valve RF quantification in pediatrics can improve longitudinal monitoring of valvular disease while reducing reliance on CMR.
Kuebler JD, Moleon-Shea M, Lu M et al. · Pediatric cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Training Deep Learning Based Dynamic MR Image Reconstruction Using Synthetic Fractals.
This study trained deep learning (DL) models for dynamic MRI reconstruction using synthetically generated fractal data (quaternion Julia fractals) and compared them with models trained on natural videos and cardiac MRI data. The fractal-trained DL approach (F-DL) achieved reconstruction performance comparable to or competitive with natural-video and cardiac-MRI-trained models while avoiding limitations of real clinical training datasets. Synthetic fractal training could enable privacy-preserving, widely shareable DL reconstruction pipelines for dynamic MRI.
Raman A, Jaubert O, Wrobel M et al. · Magnetic resonance in medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Pleiotropic Phenotype of RYR2 Exon 3 Deletion: Biventricular Noncompaction and Malignant Arrhythmias.
This JACC Case Reports article described a 33-year-old woman with a pathogenic RYR2 exon 3 deletion (E3DS) who developed biventricular noncompaction, sinus node dysfunction, and malignant arrhythmias including nonsustained polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. The patient progressed to persistent bradyarrhythmia postpartum with complete supranodal atrioventricular block and extensive right atrial low-voltage areas, with cardiac MRI confirming biventricular noncompaction. The case expands the clinical spectrum of RYR2 E3DS to include structural cardiomyopathy with high-risk conduction and arrhythmic manifestations.
Faucher L, Cardi T, Fitouchi S et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac motion tracking with bidirectional latent neural ODEs from cine cardiac MRI.
This paper proposed an unsupervised framework for cardiac motion tracking from cine cardiac MRI using bidirectional latent neural ordinary differential equations (ODEs) to model continuous-time deformation dynamics. The method addressed accumulated temporal errors and improved physical consistency of tracked motion compared with discrete-time learning approaches. More accurate, temporally consistent cine-MRI motion tracking can enhance downstream functional assessment and disease analysis in cardiac imaging.
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 ↗
Ischemic heart disease mortality with documented tobacco use in the United States, 1999-2023: a nationwide population-based analysis.
This nationwide U.S. population-based analysis examined ischemic heart disease (ICD-10 I20–I25) mortality trends from 1999–2023 among adults aged ≥25 years with documented tobacco use disorder (ICD-10 F17) listed as a contributing cause of death, using CDC mortality data and joinpoint regression. The key finding was the presence of measurable temporal trends in age-adjusted IHD mortality rates associated with documented tobacco use over the 1999–2023 period. Scientifically and clinically, quantifying these trends helps track the impact of tobacco control and informs prevention priorities for reducing IHD mortality in tobacco-exposed populations.
Ibrahim AA, Tariq Z, Samad A et al. · Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Arrhythmia risk & electrophysiology (incl. inherited syndromes)
A 46-Year-Old Man Presenting With Chest Pain Due to Apical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (Yamaguchi Syndrome) Diagnosed by Multimodal Cardiac Imaging.
This case report studied a 46-year-old man with chest pain and giant negative T-waves consistent with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (ApHCM, Yamaguchi syndrome). Multimodal cardiac imaging was used to confirm ApHCM and exclude acute coronary syndrome/coronary occlusion and myocardial infarction. The report highlights the clinical importance of advanced imaging to correctly diagnose rare ApHCM presentations that can mimic ACS on ECG.
Passos MD, de Araújo DLM, Mariano LÁ et al. · The American journal of case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Coronary/ischemia imaging & diagnostic AI
Chronic draining xiphisternal fistula associated with fractured right coronary artery stent and transdiaphragmatic inflammatory extension: a multimodality imaging and surgical correlation.
This case report studied a 53-year-old man with type 2 diabetes and ischemic heart disease who developed a chronic draining xiphisternal fistula years after right coronary artery (RCA) stent placement, attributed to a fractured stent with transdiaphragmatic inflammatory extension. Multimodality imaging was used to define the rare delayed stent-related inflammatory complication and guide surgical correlation. The clinical significance is that chronic sinus/fistula presentations after PCI can represent occult stent complications, requiring multimodal imaging for diagnosis and operative planning.
Ansari ZR, Hamdulay ZA, Khan A et al. · The Egyptian heart journal : (EHJ) : official bulletin of the Egyptian Society of Cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Heart failure imaging & perfusion prognostication
Clinical Impact of Discordant Minimal Residual Disease Assessment in Adult Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation.
This retrospective study assessed discordance in measurable residual disease (MRD) testing methods—multiparametric flow cytometry (MFC), next-generation sequencing (NGS), and BCR::ABL1 RT-qPCR—in 182 adults with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). Across 646 paired MRD samples at key timepoints (after remission induction, after consolidation, and pre-HCT), MRD results differed by assay and were evaluated for their impact on clinical outcomes. The findings are significant because MRD-guided allo-HCT decisions may be affected by inter-assay variability, potentially requiring harmonization or method-specific interpretation.
Yoon JH, Jung J, Lee S et al. · Transplantation and cellular therapy · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Impact of Rate-Pressure Product Correction of Myocardial Blood Flow on the Prognostic Relevance in Patients with Heart Failure.
This study investigated whether correcting resting myocardial blood flow (MBF) for rate-pressure product (RPP) changes the prognostic value of quantitative perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance (QP-CMR) in patients with heart failure (HF). In 641 prospectively recruited HF patients (and 184 healthy volunteers), MBF was RPP-corrected and myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) was recalculated, then related to a composite endpoint including HF hospitalization and all-cause mortality. If RPP correction alters risk prediction, it would refine how QP-CMR perfusion metrics are processed for prognostication in HF.
Anderton T, Chambers B, Farooq M et al. · European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Pregnancy & imaging safety/longitudinal management
How to Use Cardiovascular Imaging in Pregnancy.
This 2026 review studied how cardiovascular imaging should be applied during pregnancy, focusing on diagnostic and longitudinal management of suspected or established cardiovascular disease. It emphasized that pregnancy-related physiologic changes (e.g., increased blood volume, cardiac output, and chamber remodeling) complicate image acquisition and interpretation, requiring pregnancy-adapted protocols and modality selection. Clinically, the framework supports safer and more accurate imaging-based risk stratification for pregnant patients.
Van Berendoncks A, Rodriguez Palomares J, De Backer J · Circulation. Cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Genetic/metabolic cardiomyopathy and dystrophinopathy
Myocardial fat fraction in Becker muscular dystrophy and women carrying pathogenic DMD gene variants assessed by Dixon cardiac MRI.
This cross-sectional study used Dixon cardiac MRI to quantify myocardial fat fraction (FF) in 20 patients with Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) and in women carrying pathogenic DMD gene variants, relating FF to left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), age, and skeletal muscle FF. Myocardial FF was measurable and associated with cardiac function and with skeletal muscle fatty replacement, indicating parallel fat-infiltration processes across muscle and myocardium in dystrophinopathy. Quantifying myocardial FF with Dixon CMR may improve detection of early cardiac involvement in DMD/BMD and help refine prognosis and monitoring strategies.
Lyu Z, Teitsdóttir B, Joensen H et al. · Journal of neuromuscular diseases · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Clinical spectrum and ascertainment pathways in pediatric female dystrophinopathy.
This single-center retrospective case series studied 35 genetically confirmed pediatric girls with DMD gene variants, characterizing their clinical spectrum, ascertainment pathways, subclinical skeletal muscle involvement, and inheritance patterns. The key finding was that childhood female dystrophinopathy presentations were often subtle, with some girls asymptomatic at evaluation while others showed skeletal muscle and/or cardiac manifestations, and ascertainment commonly occurred through symptom-driven pathways rather than routine detection. Clinically, the results support broader awareness and more systematic evaluation for subclinical muscle/cardiac involvement in girls with DMD variants to improve diagnosis and family counseling.
Jiao H, Bai J, Li P et al. · Italian journal of pediatrics · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Public health epidemiology (tobacco, diabetes/CVD mortality)
The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Left Ventricular Remodeling in Childhood Cancer Survivors Treated With Anthracyclines: A Cross-Sectional Study.
This cross-sectional study evaluated how moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), derived from accelerometry, relates to anthracycline-associated left ventricular remodeling in childhood cancer survivors (≥2 years post-treatment). MVPA was assessed against cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) measures including indexed end-diastolic left ventricular mass (LVMi), indexed end-diastolic volume (LVEDVi), mass:volume ratio, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). If MVPA shows an association with more favorable CMR remodeling, it would support exercise as a modifiable strategy to mitigate late cardiotoxicity risk after anthracycline exposure.
Narayan HK, Chen S, Wong FL et al. · Pediatric blood & cancer · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Generated automatically on July 25, 2026. Covers PubMed articles published July 18, 2026 – July 25, 2026. Summaries are AI-generated; always consult the original publication for clinical or research decisions.