Advanced non-invasive imaging techniques in chronic heart failure and cardiomyopathies: Focus on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomographic

Cardiomyopathies (Cs) are a heterogeneous group of myocardial diseases with structural and/or functional abnormalities. The aetiology is due to genetic-family substrate in most cases, however, the correct and detailed analysis of morphofunctional abnormalities (severity and distribution of hypertrophy, ventricular dilatation, ventricular dysfunction) and tissue characteristics (myocardial fibrosis, myocardial infiltration) are a crucial element for a definite diagnosis. Among the different diagnostic imaging modalities applied in clinical practice (echocardiography, nuclear medicine), cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has emerged as a non-invasive diagnostic tool having high ability to quantify systolic function and tissue abnormalities that represent the substrates of many Cs.