NONINVASIVE QUANTITATION OF LEFT-VENTRICULAR WALL THICKENING USING CINE MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING WITH MYOCARDIAL TAGGING

The purpose of this study was to use myocardial tagging to devise a si mple, highly reproducible method the evaluation of wall thickness and thickening that (1) reflected standard definitions of myocardial segme nts similar to echocardiography, and (2) minimized the effects of tran slation of the base toward the apex. Thus, cine gradient-echo magnetic resonance imaging with myocardial tagging along the long axis of the heart permits (1) very reproducible positioning of imaging planes and tagging lines, and (2) highly reproducible quantitative assessments of myocardial segmental wall thickness and percent wall thickening durin g follow-up studies.