What's New in Cardiac MRI? — October 25, 2026
AI-summarised digest of 53 PubMed articles on Cardiac MRI published in the last 7 days.
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What’s New in Cardiac MRI?
October 25, 2026 · 53 articles · 15 research themes · covering October 18, 2026 – October 25, 2026
Overview
Across this week’s set, cardiac MRI continues to expand from “diagnosis” into longitudinal risk prediction and mechanism-focused phenotyping. Multiple studies leverage CMR tissue characterization—especially LGE and mapping-derived surrogates (e.g., ECV, IMH, microvascular injury)—to forecast outcomes in diverse settings: life-course blood pressure trajectories predicting focal fibrosis, LGE burden predicting mortality in isolated LV dilatation/non-ischemic DCM, and combined imaging–blood approaches (e.g., fibrinogen-based FIBR-CMR; TyG plus CMR-detected IMH) refining post-STEMI risk. In HFpEF, integrating systemic fibrosis/inflammation (FIB-4) with CMR ECV highlights a broader trend toward multi-domain “risk composites” rather than single-modality markers.
A second dominant theme is improving clinical decision-making in complex cardiovascular syndromes where standard pathways are uncertain. CMR is used to disambiguate overlapping inflammatory and ischemic presentations (MINOCA vs acute myocarditis), to clarify arrhythmia substrate and post-ablation lesion evolution, and to guide urgent management in rare cardiomyopathies and infiltrative diseases (e.g., cardiac sarcoidosis, amyloidosis variants, Fabry progression, and unusual thrombotic/structural presentations). Complementing this, several works emphasize standardization and feasibility: contrast-free, faster CMR sequences after STEMI, protocols for cancer-related CMR, and computational methods (segmentation robustness under motion, radiomics reproducibility across scanners/contrast agents, and AI/SSL frameworks) that aim to make advanced CMR scalable and less dependent on expert-only interpretation.
Finally, the digest reflects a translational pipeline from bench to bedside. Preclinical studies explore ferroptosis modulation (vitamin D receptor activation) and metabolic determinants of ferroptosis in SCLC, while clinical cardio-oncology and immunotherapy reports underscore the high-stakes nature of immune-mediated cardiotoxicity and the role of multimodality imaging (FDG PET/CT plus CMR) for diagnosis and treatment response. Together, these articles point toward a future where CMR, biomarkers, and AI-driven analytics converge to enable earlier detection, more accurate phenotyping, and more personalized prevention and therapy.
Cardiac MRI for myocardial fibrosis and tissue characterization
Myocardial Calcification After Severe Sepsis: 3-Patient Case Series, Multimodality Imaging, and Review of the Literature.
This 3-patient case series studied myocardial calcification after severe sepsis/septic shock in three men using multimodality imaging. Computed tomography mapped the distribution and extent of calcium deposition, while cardiac magnetic resonance demonstrated corresponding nonischemic late gadolinium enhancement in affected segments. The findings are clinically important because they show complementary roles of cardiac CT and CMR for characterizing long-term postseptic myocardial calcification.
Ruiz-López A, Salido Iniesta M, Gómez Revelles S et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Life-Course Blood Pressure Trajectories and Focal Myocardial Fibrosis in Older Age in MyoFit46.
This study in the MyoFit46 cohort (≈500 participants from a 1946 birth cohort) examined how life-course systolic and diastolic blood pressure (measured at ages 36, 43, 53, 63, 69, and 77 years) relate to late left ventricular focal myocardial fibrosis assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance using late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) with 3-SD and 5-SD thresholds at age 77. The abstract indicates that associations between BP trajectory features (annual change “steepness” and cumulative burden “area under the trajectory”) and LGE were tested using mixed-effects models, but the key results are truncated in the provided text. If life-course BP trajectories reliably predict LGE-defined focal fibrosis, this would support earlier BP control as a target to prevent later myocardial remodeling detectable by CMR in older adults.
Topriceanu CC, Webber M, Shiwani H et al. · Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI for arrhythmia risk stratification
Arrhythmic Risk Stratification in Non-Ischaemic Cardiomyopathy: The Role of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
This review evaluates how cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)—including late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), parametric mapping, strain imaging, and AI—can refine arrhythmic risk stratification in non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy, focusing on dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and non-dilated left ventricular cardiomyopathy (NDLVC). It finds that CMR-derived markers can add prognostic information beyond left ventricular ejection fraction, and it contextualizes these imaging approaches alongside emerging genetic risk stratification strategies. Clinically, this supports more individualized identification of patients who may benefit from intensified arrhythmia prevention.
Sia RI, Hammersley DJ · Current cardiology reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Sex-based differences in bi-atrial voltage in atrial fibrillation: a multimodal and digital twin approach to distinguish physiological variation from pathological remodelling.
This multicentre prospective study assessed sex-based differences in bi-atrial voltage in atrial fibrillation (AF) by combining voltage mapping during AF ablation with cardiac MRI and patient-specific digital twins. The key finding was that sex-related voltage differences can be contextualized as reflecting a mix of physiological variation and pathological substrate/remodeling rather than voltage alone. This supports more accurate interpretation of AF substrate metrics and may reduce sex-related bias in ablation planning.
Bodagh N, Vigneswaran V, Gharaviri A et al. · Heart rhythm · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Temporal Changes in LGE-CMR Enhancement After Monopolar Biphasic Focal Pulsed Field Ablation for Pulmonary Vein Isolation.
This prospective serial imaging study used late gadolinium enhancement CMR (LGE-CMR) to characterize acute and chronic lesion formation after monopolar biphasic focal pulsed field ablation (PFA) for pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). Across six patients treated with the CENTAURI system using focal point-by-point delivery, LGE patterns evolved over time, reflecting lesion maturation from acute to chronic stages. These findings are significant because they help interpret post-PFA imaging endpoints and may inform optimization of lesion delivery strategies.
Moersdorf M, Forkmann M, Abou-Khalil M et al. · Heart rhythm · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI for ischemic heart disease and reperfusion injury
Association of exercise blood pressure relative to fitness with coronary artery disease.
This study analyzed 530 participants with suspected angina from the CE-MARC trial to determine how exercise systolic blood pressure indexed to fitness (SBP/METpeak, defined as ≥18 mm Hg/METs) relates to coronary artery disease phenotype and outcomes. High SBP/METpeak was associated with worse coronary disease burden and adverse cardiovascular outcomes after exercise testing, using invasive coronary angiography (quantitative ≥70% stenosis) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) phenotyping. These findings suggest that SBP/METpeak from treadmill testing can help risk-stratify patients for CAD and guide downstream evaluation in clinical practice.
Takafuji M, Naderi H, Sia CH et al. · Open heart · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Multimodality imaging for predicting regional wall motion recovery after percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion.
This prospective study of 66 patients with chronic total occlusion (CTO) undergoing successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared the ability of dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE), cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)—alone and in combination—to predict regional left ventricular (LV) wall motion recovery after PCI. Multimodality imaging performed within 3 months before PCI showed differential predictive performance for post-PCI regional functional recovery, with combined approaches improving prediction beyond single tests. The results support using tailored multimodality imaging to better select CTO patients likely to benefit from PCI.
Kawai H, Yamada A, Ishikawa M et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
The triglyceride-glucose index and intramyocardial hemorrhage identify a high-risk phenotype in STEMI.
This retrospective cohort study evaluated 456 STEMI patients treated with primary PCI to test whether the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and intramyocardial hemorrhage (IMH) measured by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) identify a high-risk phenotype for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). MACE risk increased across TyG tertiles and was further stratified by the presence of IMH, with the combined TyG index plus IMH providing incremental prognostic value. Clinically, this supports using admission blood TyG plus CMR-detected IMH to refine long-term risk prediction after STEMI.
Li Z, Zhang M, Wang Y et al. · International journal of cardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Pathological Q waves in anterior myocardial infarction: A marker of infarct extent rather than location.
This study investigated whether pathological Q waves in anterior myocardial infarction reflect infarct extent rather than precise location by analyzing 102 patients with first anterior ST-elevation MI. Individual Q waves and established anterior Q-wave patterns showed broad, overlapping associations with CMR-defined infarct burden, with only Q waves in V1 remaining significantly associated after false-discovery-rate correction. Scientifically, it challenges the traditional use of Q waves for MI localization and supports CMR-based assessment of infarct burden.
Aslanger EK, Gençol Akçay G, Acaroğlu Ş et al. · Journal of electrocardiology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Visualization of post-STEMI myocardial infarction and microvascular obstruction with non-contrast, free-breathing whole- heart iT2prep-IR BOOST.
This validation study evaluated a non-contrast, free-breathing whole-heart T1/T2 CMR technique (iT2prep-IR BOOST) for visualizing post–STEMI myocardial infarction and microvascular obstruction (MVO) in STEMI patients. The iT2prep-IR BOOST sequence achieved rapid acquisition (<8 minutes) and provided diagnostic and quantitative assessment of myocardial injury comparable to conventional contrast-enhanced CMR approaches. This is clinically significant because it may enable faster, contrast-free CMR risk stratification after STEMI, improving feasibility in routine care.
Liu X, He J, Zhang B et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Association of lipoprotein(a) with ischemia-reperfusion injury in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.
In the prospective MARINA-STEMI cohort (518 STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI), this study investigated whether lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is associated with ischemia-reperfusion injury measured by multiparametric CMR and with clinical outcomes. Higher Lp(a) levels were associated with greater myocardial and microvascular damage on CMR and with worse clinical endpoints. This is clinically significant because it positions Lp(a) as a potential biomarker for identifying STEMI patients at higher risk of adverse reperfusion injury.
Holzknecht M, Tiller C, Lechner I et al. · Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI for cardiomyopathies (non-ischemic) and prognosis
[The predictive value of left ventricular strain on cardiac magnetic resonance for adverse events in children and adolescent patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy].
This retrospective cohort study evaluated whether left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) from CMR feature-tracking predicts adverse cardiovascular and heart-failure-related events in children and adolescents (≤21 years) with primary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The key finding was that CMR-derived GLS provided prognostic information for adverse outcomes, supporting its use as a marker of systolic dysfunction risk in pediatric HCM. Clinically, incorporating CMR feature-tracking GLS could improve risk stratification and follow-up planning in young patients with HCM.
Chen XR, Ma X, Zhang AX et al. · Zhonghua xin xue guan bing za zhi · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Myocardial Alterations in Major Depressive Disorder with Anxious Distress: Evidence from Oxygenation-Sensitive CMR and Entropy Analysis.
This prospective study examined myocardial alterations in 58 medication-naïve patients with major depressive disorder with anxious distress (MDD-A) versus 61 healthy controls using oxygenation-sensitive CMR (OS-CMR) and mapping-derived entropy analysis. The key finding was that MDD-A patients showed measurable myocardial changes on OS-CMR/entropy metrics and that these alterations were associated with cardiovascular symptoms and with the severity of depressive/anxiety symptoms. Clinically, the results suggest that advanced CMR biomarkers may help characterize cardiovascular involvement in MDD-A and potentially inform prognosis-linked risk assessment.
Jin S, Liu S, Wu Y et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Prognostic Value of Late Gadolinium Enhancement Findings in Isolated Left Ventricular Dilatation and Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
This bicentric retrospective CMR study evaluated whether late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) extent, location, and number of LGE areas predict all-cause death separately in patients with isolated left ventricular dilatation (ILVD) and non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Greater and more extensive/multifocal LGE was associated with worse survival outcomes in these populations. These findings support using LGE patterns on cardiac MRI for risk stratification and prognosis in ILVD/DCM beyond ejection fraction alone.
Gonçalves T, Duhamel S, Toupin S et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Natural History of Asymptomatic Phenotypically Mild HCM: Insights From the SHaRe Registry.
Using the Sarcomeric Human Cardiomyopathy Registry (SHaRe), this study characterized the natural history of phenotypically mild hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and identified predictors of incident major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Phenotypically mild HCM patients still experienced disease progression and MACE over follow-up, with specific baseline clinical features predicting risk. These results are significant because they help determine which “mild” HCM patients may benefit from earlier disease-modifying interventions.
Topriceanu CC, Balakrishnan ID, Vissing CR et al. · Journal of the American College of Cardiology · (2026) · 5 citations · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac MRI for myocarditis and MINOCA differentiation
Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in MINOCA and Acute Myocarditis: A Comparative Multiparametric Evaluation.
This retrospective study compared clinical and CMR multiparametric tissue-characterization features in 62 patients with suspected MINOCA and 65 patients with suspected acute myocarditis (AM) who underwent CMR between February 2021 and October 2024. The key finding was that specific CMR patterns and characteristics can enable more accurate differentiation between MINOCA and AM despite overlapping symptoms and biomarkers. This improves early etiologic diagnosis and can guide downstream management in patients with non-obstructive coronary presentations.
Tognola C, Daus F, Pedroli S et al. · The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Acute Myocarditis Presenting as Neck Pain With Severe Systemic Inflammation.
This case report studied acute myocarditis presenting with atypical neck pain and severe systemic inflammation in a 35-year-old previously healthy woman. The patient developed cardiogenic shock with elevated cardiac biomarkers and severe left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction ~30%) despite the absence of initial chest pain or dyspnea. The case is significant because it broadens the clinical presentation of myocarditis and supports early cardiac evaluation when systemic inflammation and myocardial injury markers are present.
Fayyaz A, Khan SW, Azam M et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Heterogeneity in the diagnostic management of MINOCA: a UK clinician survey.
This UK clinician survey studied heterogeneity in diagnostic management of MINOCA (myocardial injury with non-obstructive coronary arteries) by surveying clinicians involved in MINOCA care between March and December 2025. Using two clinical vignettes representing probable non-ischaemic versus ischaemic etiologies, the survey assessed investigation preferences and treatment approaches, revealing variation despite guideline recommendations. The significance lies in identifying gaps in MINOCA diagnostic pathways that could be targeted to standardize evaluation and improve patient outcomes.
Sykes R, Berry C, Brown S et al. · Open heart · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI for valvular and pressure-overload remodeling
Extremely Severe Aortic Stenosis Mimicking Cardiac Amyloidosis on Multimodality Imaging.
This JACC Case Reports article describes a 70-year-old woman with extremely severe aortic stenosis whose multimodality imaging mimicked cardiac amyloidosis. Echocardiography and CMR showed features overlapping with amyloid (e.g., increased wall thickness, elevated native T1/extracellular volume, and late gadolinium enhancement), while amyloid radionuclide imaging showed Per—indicating the diagnostic challenge of pressure-overload remodeling. The case emphasizes that CMR and nuclear imaging must be interpreted in the context of severe aortic stenosis to avoid misdiagnosis.
Kim YY, Pak K, Lee JW et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI for heart failure phenotyping and risk prediction
Combined Prognostic Value of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance-Derived Myocardial Extracellular Volume and the Fibrosis-4 Index in Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.
This study assessed the combined prognostic value of cardiac MRI-derived myocardial extracellular volume fraction (ECV) and the Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index in 250 patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The key finding was that ECV and FIB-4 together provided complementary risk prediction for adverse cardiovascular outcomes (cardiovascular death and heart-failure events). Scientifically and clinically, integrating a CMR fibrosis surrogate (ECV) with a systemic fibrosis/inflammation biomarker index (FIB-4) may better identify HFpEF patients at highest risk.
Huang CY, Lin YL, Lin TT et al. · Journal of the American Heart Association · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac MRI for pulmonary hypertension and right-heart hemodynamics
4D-Flow MRI-Derived Wall Shear Stress as a Non-Invasive Biomarker for the Detection and Hemodynamic Characterization of Pulmonary Hypertension.
This study assessed whether 4D-flow MRI-derived pulmonary arterial wall shear stress (WSS) can non-invasively detect pulmonary hypertension (PH) using 2022 hemodynamic criteria and predict right ventriculo-pulmonary arterial (RV-PA) uncoupling. In retrospective (41 PH vs 23 non-PH) and prospective (23 PH vs 17 controls) cohorts, WSS measurements in the main, right, and left pulmonary arteries improved PH detection and related to disease severity via RV-PA uncoupling. This is significant because it offers a radiation-free, non-invasive biomarker to characterize PH hemodynamics and potentially reduce reliance on right heart catheterization.
Statton B, Armour C, Leong K et al. · Pulmonary circulation · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI for congenital heart disease and post-surgical remodeling
A complementary proteomics and cardiac magnetic resonance approach to characterize right ventricular remodeling after tetralogy of Fallot repair.
This Pediatric Research study used untargeted serum proteomics alongside cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) to characterize right ventricular (RV) remodeling after repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) in adolescents stratified by indexed RV end-diastolic volume (RVEDVi). It identified differentially abundant serum proteins (p<0.05) and performed pathway enrichment to link proteomic signatures to RV dilation. Scientifically, this integrative proteomics–CMR approach may reveal mechanistic drivers and biomarkers of post-TOF RV failure.
Jones AL, Edwards JJ, Fazelinia H et al. · Pediatric research · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI for thrombus and prothrombotic risk
The FIBR-CMR score: a novel risk model integrating fibrinogen and cardiac magnetic resonance for major adverse events after STEMI.
This prospective multicenter cohort study developed the FIBR-CMR score by integrating plasma fibrinogen (a systemic prothrombotic marker) with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) findings to predict major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) after STEMI. In 532 STEMI patients treated with primary PCI, fibrinogen measured post-procedure provided incremental prognostic value beyond CMR assessment of left ventricular thrombus. Clinically, the score aims to improve post-STEMI risk stratification for patients at residual thrombotic risk.
Jiang YJ, Wei L, Hou XC et al. · La Radiologia medica · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac MRI in cardio-oncology and cancer therapy toxicity
Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Cardio-Oncology: An Expert Consensus Statement from the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance. Endorsed by the International Cardio-Oncology Society (ICOS).
This expert consensus statement from the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR), endorsed by the International Cardio-Oncology Society (ICOS), reviewed how to select, time, and interpret cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in cancer patients across cardio-oncology scenarios. It provides recommendations and suggested CMR protocols to support clinical decision-making while clarifying CMR advantages and limitations for specific indications. The guidance standardizes CMR use for detecting and monitoring cancer therapy–related cardiovascular complications.
Baldassarre LA, Reinhardt SW, Jordan JH et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiovascular Toxicity Across the Cancer Immunotherapy Spectrum: Mechanisms and Management in Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor (ICI) and Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell (CAR-T) Therapy.
This narrative review summarized mechanisms and management of cardiovascular toxicity across immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, focusing on immune-mediated cardiotoxic syndromes such as myocarditis and related major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). It highlights that while trial-reported cardiotoxicity with ICIs is ~1%, real-world rates are higher (about 3–5%), and ICI myocarditis can present early and with high mortality, including overlap syndromes. The review is significant for clinicians because it consolidates current diagnostic and management frameworks to improve detection and treatment of therapy-associated cardiovascular complications.
Lushington J, Wilson JM, Lalwani S et al. · Current oncology reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Prognosticating Factors in PET CT and MRI of Cervical Cancer Treated With Chemoradiotherapy.
This retrospective study assessed locally advanced cervical cancer patients treated with chemoradiotherapy (CRT) who underwent FDG PET/CT and MRI to identify imaging biomarkers associated with prognosis. By comparing pre- and post-treatment imaging features and dichotomizing patients into complete metabolic responders (CMR) versus non-CMR, the authors evaluated which functional/anatomic PET and MRI characteristics predicted outcomes. The work is relevant for developing imaging-based risk stratification to guide prognosis and potentially treatment adaptation in cervical cancer CRT.
Ku D, Wei W, Rutherford N · Journal of medical imaging and radiation oncology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Myocarditis on FDG PET/CT and Cardiac MR.
This case report studied immune checkpoint inhibitor myocarditis in a 54-year-old man with stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma receiving pembrolizumab. FDG PET/CT showed intense myocardial uptake and cardiac MRI demonstrated myocardial edema and gadolinium enhancement consistent with myocarditis, with subsequent resolution after stopping immunotherapy and starting prednisolone. The report is significant because it illustrates how FDG PET/CT and cardiac MRI can corroborate diagnosis and track treatment response in fatal-risk immune-related myocarditis.
Chandran S, McIntosh LJ, Gerson DS et al. · Clinical nuclear medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
[Cardiac involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies].
This scoping review summarized cardiac involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), including prevalence, mechanisms, clinical manifestations, diagnostic approaches, and treatment options. It emphasized that subclinical myocarditis is often under-recognized due to nonspecific or absent symptoms and highlighted practical diagnostic strategies for rheumatologists. The review is significant because it supports earlier detection and management of cardiac complications that contribute to increased morbidity and mortality in IIM.
Wilhelmi T, Treiber J, Müller-Ladner U et al. · Zeitschrift fur Rheumatologie · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac MRI for transplant rejection surveillance and outcomes
Sustained improvement in sickle cell cardiomyopathy after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is superior to that with disease-modifying therapy.
This prospective trial followed children and young adults with sickle cell disease (including HbSS and compound heterozygous genotypes) undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (matched-sibling or haploidentical HSCT) and compared post-transplant cardiac remodeling outcomes to those achieved with disease-modifying therapy, using serial cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and echocardiography up to 36 months. The study reports that sustained improvement in sickle cell cardiomyopathy after HSCT is superior to improvement with disease-modifying therapy. Clinically, this strengthens the evidence that HSCT can more effectively reverse or stabilize SCD-related myocardial remodeling, informing risk–benefit decisions for pediatric and young adult patients.
Rai P, Selukar S, Bi Y et al. · British journal of haematology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Multi-center study of CMR versus cardiac catheterization with endomyocardial biopsy for pediatric transplant surveillance: study protocol.
This multi-center study protocol is designed for pediatric heart transplant recipients to compare non-invasive cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) approaches—specifically T1 and T2 parametric mapping—plus blood biomarkers (including cell-free DNA and microRNA) against the current standard of care, endomyocardial biopsy (EMB), for acute allograft rejection (AR) surveillance. The key finding is not yet available because this is a study protocol, but the central aim is to validate predictive performance of CMR and biomarker-based models for AR detection in children. If successful, it could reduce reliance on invasive EMB in pediatric transplant surveillance by enabling earlier and safer rejection monitoring.
Heimerl AT, Crum K, Lockard CA et al. · Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac MRI for rare diseases and syndromic cardiology
Silent Cardiac Progression in a Woman With Fabry Disease Despite Normal Baseline CMR.
This case report studied cardiac progression in a 39-year-old woman with genetically confirmed Fabry disease who had normal baseline cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in 2022. By 2025, follow-up CMR showed new myocardial involvement with basal septal thickening (to 14 mm) and new midwall late gadolinium enhancement, despite preserved ejection fraction and previously normal imaging/biomarkers. The report highlights that women with Fabry disease can develop “silent” cardiac progression and that normal baseline CMR does not rule out later myocardial fibrosis, supporting the need for longitudinal cardiac surveillance.
Szczepara S, Pacia K, Szachowicz-Jaworska J et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Right Ventricular Hydatid Cyst: A Rare Cause of Right Heart Failure in Pregnancy.
This case report studied a 32-year-old pregnant woman (29 weeks gestation) with right heart failure due to a right ventricular hydatid cyst from Echinococcus granulosus infection. Echocardiography identified a large cystic mass arising from the right ventricular free wall with right atrial/ventricular dilatation, and cardiac MRI confirmed the diagnosis. The case is significant because RV hydatid cysts are exceptionally rare in pregnancy, and multimodality imaging (echo plus CMR) is crucial for timely diagnosis and management.
Goel V, Kumar D, Aggarwal A et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
High-Grade Atrioventricular Block and Recurrent Cardiac Arrest in Suspected Isolated Cardiac Sarcoidosis.
This JACC Case Reports report describes an 18-year-old woman with suspected isolated cardiac sarcoidosis who developed high-grade atrioventricular block and recurrent brady-asystolic cardiac arrest. Cardiac magnetic resonance showed regional septal thickening with basal-to-midseptal midmyocardial late gadolinium enhancement, supporting the diagnosis in the absence of histology and when FDG-PET was unavailable. The case highlights the clinical value of CMR for diagnosing cardiac sarcoidosis and directing urgent pacing in advanced conduction disease.
Talib AM, Alalawi S, Abozinadah YM et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Late Anthracycline Cardiotoxicity Mimicking Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy in a Young Adult.
This case report described delayed doxorubicin (anthracycline) cardiotoxicity in a 26-year-old man previously treated for childhood Burkitt lymphoma with a cumulative doxorubicin dose of 120 mg/m². Despite preserved ejection fraction on echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance showed low-normal biventricular function and strain/structural abnormalities consistent with late doxorubicin injury that mimicked arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. The report emphasizes that delayed anthracycline cardiotoxicity should be considered in young patients with arrhythmia-like phenotypes years after exposure.
Chedid M, Barrett C, Sun M et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Four Synchronous Myxomas Unmasking Carney Complex: When to Think About Carney Complex?
This JACC Case Reports report described a 39-year-old man with four synchronous cardiac myxomas whose multimodality imaging (transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, CT, and cardiac magnetic resonance) revealed multiple highly mobile intracardiac lesions. The presence of multiple concurrent myxomas prompted suspicion for Carney complex (CNC) rather than sporadic solitary tumors. The case is clinically important because it highlights when to evaluate for syndromic disease in patients presenting with multiple cardiac myxomas.
Ballan G, Genovese D, Bortolato A et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Psychosocial Stress-Induced Takotsubo Syndrome in a Male Patient: Breaking the Stereotype.
This case report described a 48-year-old man who developed psychosocial stress–triggered Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) with dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and four discrete apical thrombi identified on cardiac magnetic resonance. He recovered fully with β-blockade and anticoagulation despite the atypical male sex and psychosocial trigger. The report is significant because it broadens the clinical stereotype of TTS triggers and underscores the need to actively search for LV thrombi in complicated cases.
Beesley H, Soroa M, Lerakis S et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Angiomatoid Fibrous Histiocytoma: An Exceptionally Rare Pulmonary Artery Tumor Presenting as an Asymptomatic Heart Murmur.
This case report described a 28-year-old man with a new systolic heart murmur in whom imaging identified an exceptionally rare angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma (AFH) arising from the pulmonary artery. Transthoracic echocardiography suggested an indeterminate main pulmonary artery lesion, and cardiac magnetic resonance plus PET-CT characterized a hyperintense mass attached to the pulmonic valve and main pulmonary artery wall, leading to surgical resection. The case is important for clinicians because it demonstrates how multimodality imaging can clarify rare pulmonary artery tumors presenting with subtle cardiac findings.
Jafary Z, Rana S, Vaughan M et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Postoperative Pericardial Cyst Enlargement After Recurrent Breast Cancer: Distinguishing Benign vs Malignant Etiologies.
This case report studied postoperative enlargement of a previously characterized pericardial cyst in a 52-year-old woman with recurrent breast cancer (new ipsilateral lobular carcinoma after prior ductal carcinoma in situ). Cardiac-gated computed tomography confirmed the lesion as a pericardial cyst and highlighted that interval growth during active malignancy can mimic malignant pericardial involvement. Clinically, it underscores the need for careful multimodality imaging to distinguish benign pericardial cyst enlargement from metastatic disease in breast cancer patients.
Naoun AA, Pandey AK · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · 1 citations · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
9-Year Serial CMR Monitoring of Cardiac AL Amyloidosis Regression After Teclistamab.
This case report studied long-term (9-year) serial cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) monitoring of cardiac AL amyloidosis regression in a 64-year-old man treated with teclistamab after failure of multiple prior lines including daratumumab. Across 11 CMR examinations, the patient showed a biphasic course with progressive myocardial infiltration through 2020 followed by sustained structural and functional improvement after teclistamab-induced hematologic complete response. Scientifically, it provides rare longitudinal CMR evidence that B-cell maturation antigen-directed therapy can produce durable cardiac regression in AL amyloidosis.
Silvestri V, Toledano M, Hivert B et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
AL Cardiac Amyloidosis Mimicking Dilated Cardiomyopathy With Reduced Ejection Fraction and Absent Apical Sparing.
This case report studied a patient with AL cardiac amyloidosis presenting with features that mimicked dilated cardiomyopathy with reduced ejection fraction and absent apical sparing on echocardiography. Key findings were diffuse, patchy late gadolinium enhancement on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) despite only mildly increased wall thickness and reduced global longitudinal strain without classic apical sparing. The report is significant because it highlights that AL amyloidosis can present atypically and that CMR can be crucial for early detection when echocardiographic patterns are nonclassic.
Kidess GG, Kaufman M, Sarswat N et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiac Tamponade From Lymphocytic Constrictive Pericarditis in Primary AL Amyloidosis Without Myocardial Involvement.
This case report studied lymphocytic constrictive pericarditis causing cardiac tamponade as the sole cardiac manifestation in a 69-year-old man with primary AL amyloidosis without myocardial involvement. Pericardiocentesis and pericardial biopsy showed lymphocytic effusion without cardiac amyloid, while later biopsy of a prevertebral mass demonstrated amyloid deposition confirming systemic AL amyloidosis. The report is significant because it documents an exceptionally rare presentation and supports considering systemic AL amyloidosis when unexplained constrictive pericarditis/tamponade is found.
Leong YH, Teo Z, Sng ECY et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Wild-Type Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy With Positive 18F-FDG/13N-Ammonia Cardiac Positron Emission Tomography.
This case report studied wild-type transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (wtATTR-CM) in an 85-year-old man whose diagnosis was initially confounded by cardiac positron emission tomography findings. 18F-FDG/13N-ammonia PET/CT showed matching perfusion defects with focal FDG uptake, leading to a presumed diagnosis of isolated cardiac sarcoidosis, but the patient progressed with worsening wall thickness and global longitudinal strain. The clinical significance is that atypical PET patterns can mimic other cardiomyopathies, delaying wtATTR-CM diagnosis and treatment.
Elalfy A, Kholeif Z, Rashwan R et al. · JACC. Case reports · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Primary cardiac angiosarcoma: From pathogenesis to therapeutic strategies.
This review synthesized evidence on the pathogenesis and emerging therapeutic strategies for primary cardiac angiosarcoma (PCAS), focusing on molecular drivers and tumor microenvironment features. Reported genomic/transcriptomic alterations include recurrent POT1, KDR/VEGFR2, and PLCG1 mutations, CDKN2A loss, and activation of angiogenic signaling, alongside an immunosuppressive, exhausted tumor microenvironment. Understanding these mechanisms is clinically significant because it can guide targeted and immunotherapeutic development for a malignancy with median survival typically under one year.
Gao H, Zhang H, Zhu D et al. · Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac imaging AI, radiomics, and computational methods
Clinical integration of artificial intelligence for diagnosis, risk prediction and management of rare cardiovascular diseases.
This review studied how artificial intelligence (AI)—including machine learning, deep learning, and multimodal integration of ECG, echocardiography, and cardiac MRI—can support diagnosis, risk prediction, and management of rare cardiovascular diseases (RCDs). The key finding was that AI approaches can address challenges in RCDs such as delayed diagnosis and limited evidence by extracting scalable, data-driven patterns from imaging and clinical data. The review is significant because it outlines practical pathways for translating AI into improved clinical decision-making for genetically heterogeneous and uncommon cardiovascular disorders.
Kirubakaran D, Moovendhan M, Preethi JD et al. · Journal of basic and clinical physiology and pharmacology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cardiac Image Segmentation Under Respiratory Motion Artifacts Using Different Modified U-Net Models.
This paper studied deep-learning cardiac MRI segmentation under respiratory motion artifacts by comparing four modified U-Net architectures—Attention U-Net, Dense U-Net, Residual U-Net, and Sharp U-Net—on CMR with synthetically added motion. The key finding was that model performance varied by architecture and that certain modified U-Net variants better handled increasing motion misregistration than the baseline U-Net. This is significant for improving the reliability of quantitative CMR measurements in free-breathing clinical settings where respiratory motion artifacts are common.
Singh RP, Nagabhooshanam N, Thakur Y et al. · Journal of imaging informatics in medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
A review of self-supervised imaging phenotypes for genome-wide association studies.
This review studied self-supervised learning (SSL) imaging phenotypes for genome-wide association studies (GWAS), focusing on how data-driven traits can replace or complement expert-defined image-derived phenotypes. The key finding was that SSL-based representations can capture more biological variation in high-content imaging and may improve imaging-genetics discovery across modalities including cardiac MRI. The scientific significance is that SSL could expand the power and scope of GWAS by enabling scalable, phenotype-rich analyses without exhaustive manual feature engineering.
Patel K, Zhao X, Xie Z et al. · Communications biology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Protocol for profiling chromatin accessibility in human small-cell lung cancer FFPE-derived samples using Omni-ATAC-seq.
This STAR Protocol article describes Omni-ATAC-seq profiling of chromatin accessibility in human small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) archival samples. The protocol addresses FFPE-specific DNA degradation and crosslinking by optimizing nuclei isolation, tagmentation, and library amplification to achieve high-quality signal-to-noise from degraded material. This enables epigenetic studies of disease progression using existing SCLC biobanks without requiring fresh tissue.
Salataj E, Kawasaki K, Massagué J et al. · STAR protocols · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Impact of Field Strength and Contrast Agents on Cardiac MRI Radiomic Features of the Myocardium and Blood Pool.
This experimental imaging study tested how magnetic field strength (1.5T vs 3T) and gadolinium-based contrast agents affect cardiac MRI radiomic features of the myocardium and blood pool. In eight healthy volunteers undergoing MOLLI at mid-ventricular level with and without gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA) or gadofosveset trisodium, radiomic feature values changed with both field strength and contrast agent. These results are important for standardizing cardiac MRI radiomics across scanners and contrast protocols to improve reproducibility and comparability in clinical research.
Lin K, Sarnari R, Gordon DZ et al. · Journal of imaging informatics in medicine · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Cardiovascular biomarkers and systemic risk scores (non-imaging)
Pharmacological activation of vitamin D receptor by paricalcitol attenuates ferroptosis-associated myocardial injury after ischemia-reperfusion.
This preclinical study investigated ferroptosis in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) in mice and tested whether pharmacological activation of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) with paricalcitol attenuates ferroptosis-associated myocardial injury. The key finding was that paricalcitol reduced ferroptosis-linked cardiac damage after ischemia-reperfusion compared with control conditions. The significance is that VDR activation may represent a therapeutic strategy to limit ferroptosis-mediated myocardial injury following reperfusion.
Ramiro-Ponce V, Fedichkina R, Martín-Nunes L et al. · European journal of pharmacology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗
Cell-state-specific metabolic networks govern ferroptosis versus apoptosis in small cell lung cancer.
This Cell study investigated how cell-state-specific metabolic networks determine whether small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells undergo ferroptosis versus apoptosis. Using integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses, the authors found a universal dependence on exogenous cysteine/cystine (Cys), where low ASCL1 transcription factor levels drove ferroptosis upon Cys depletion while ASCL1high cells underwent apoptosis and resisted ferroptosis. The work is significant because it identifies ASCL1-dependent vulnerability to ferroptosis and suggests a potential metabolic targeting approach for SCLC based on cell state.
Kim JW, Bebber CM, Dai Y et al. · Cell · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Comment on: ERS/ESTS/ESTRO/ESR/ESTI/EFOMP statement on management of incidental findings from low dose CT screening for lung cancer.
This article is a comment addressing the ERS/ESTS/ESTRO/ESR/ESTI/EFOMP statement on managing incidental findings from low-dose CT lung cancer screening. It proposes suggested updates to how incidental findings should be handled in the screening context. The significance is improved guidance for clinicians and harmonized decision-making to reduce missed diagnoses and unnecessary downstream testing.
Rossi SH, Byass O, Bakewell R et al. · The European respiratory journal · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
The pan-African natural products library compounds oleanolic acid, poinsettifolin B, and rhuschalcone III disrupt SARS-CoV-2 spike-host ACE2 interactions and SARS-CoV-2 replication.
This in vitro screening study evaluated compounds from the pan-African Natural Products Library (p-ANAPL) for antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 by targeting Spike receptor-binding domain (RBD)–ACE2 interactions and viral replication. It identified oleanolic acid, poinsettifolin B, and rhuschalcone III as disruptors of Spike–ACE2 binding and as inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 replication in cell-based assays. The findings support these natural products as candidate leads for entry/replication inhibitors, particularly where vaccine or therapeutic access is limited.
Tjegbe MJM, Onguéné PA, Bekono BD et al. · BMC pharmacology & toxicology · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Excess weight and its association with cardiometabolic risk in adolescents: comparative analysis of national and international classifications.
This cross-sectional study in 823 adolescents aged 10–19 years from Fortaleza, Ceará compared overweight/obesity classification agreement across WHO, International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), and the Brazilian Reference (Conde and Monteiro) and tested associations with cardiometabolic risk (CMR). The different BMI cutoffs showed varying agreement and were differentially associated with CMR defined by insulin resistance (waist-to-height ratio) and dyslipidemia. The findings are clinically important for selecting appropriate pediatric/adolescent obesity criteria that best identify cardiometabolic risk.
Nogueira MDA, Oliveira LFN, Martins GS et al. · Revista paulista de pediatria : orgao oficial da Sociedade de Pediatria de Sao Paulo · (2026) · View on PubMed ↗ · Free PDF ↗
Generated automatically on October 25, 2026. Covers PubMed articles published October 18, 2026 – October 25, 2026. Summaries are AI-generated; always consult the original publication for clinical or research decisions.