Insights into ventricular cardiac function by MRI in patients with iron overload

Purpose: Preserved left ventricular (LV) function is often seen in patients with myocardial iron overload. Cardiac iron assessed by GRE-MRI-R2* methods is the earliest predictor of cardiac morbidity in iron overload disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate early LV function parameters of cardiomyopathy due to cardiac iron overload. Patients and Methods: In 27 patients and subjects (10–58y), LV function parameters and the transversal relaxation rate R2* (=1/T2*) was determined from 6mm short and long (4- and 2-chamber view) axis slices. Breathhold retrospective ECG gating was used on a 1.5 T imager acquirin…