Special Session 06: New Techniques Ready for Clinical Application (2018)-Myocardial deformation, feature tracking, reproducibility, applications

Myocardial deformation, feature tracking, reproducibility, applications

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The talk focused on why cardiovascular MRI should move beyond late-stage diagnosis toward earlier, more reproducible detection of heart disease. While CMR is already a gold standard for ventricular volumes, mass, function, and scar assessment, many current measures like ejection fraction can miss early dysfunction and vary between observers. The speaker emphasized strain imaging and feature tracking as quantitative tools that can detect subtle myocardial changes earlier, with good reproducibility and potential for use in smaller hospitals, not just academic centers. Different MR techniques, including feature tracking and free-breathing cine methods, were discussed, along with validation against tagging and evidence for prognostic value. Applications included heart failure, therapy monitoring, small-animal studies, and cardiac toxicity surveillance in breast cancer patients. The overall message: the tools already exist, and strain should be routinely reported to support earlier treatment and better outcomes.

Keywords

cardiovascular MRI

strain imaging

feature tracking

early heart disease detection

myocardial dysfunction