Magnetic resonance imaging for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy update.

OBJECTIVES: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic disease of the myocardium. Although many patients remain asymptomatic, sudden cardiac death could be the first manifestation of HCM. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of this disease. METHODS: The epidemiology, pathophysiology, and diagnosis of HCM will be briefly reviewed. This is followed by a discussion on the role of cardiac MRI, recommended protocol, typical imaging findings of HCM, and advanced MRI techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Although MRI is not intended to be a first-line tool for the assessment of HCM, MRI does provide valuable information to aid the management of patients either at risk of or diagnosed with HCM.