Cardiovascular magnetic resonance in heart failure

Imaging has a central role in the evaluation of patients with heart failure (HF). Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is rapidly evolving as a versatile imaging modality that often provides additional information to echocardiography in patients with suspected or known HF. CMR is the only imaging modality that has the ability to assess, without exposure to ionizing radiation, cardiac function, structure (tissue characterization), perfusion, and viability. Moreover, magnetic resonance spectroscopy techniques can assess the pathophysiologic role of deranged cardiac energetics in HF. In this review we discuss the role of CMR in the evaluation of patients with HF giving particular emphasis to recent developments and the additional information that can be obtained with this imaging modality, over and above standard echocardiography. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.