Dark-blood LGE MRI was non-inferior to conventional bright-blood LGE in detecting non-ischemic scarring, with no significant difference in total scar size (5.35% vs 5.24%; p=0.84).
Cross-Sectional (n=343)
No
Does dark-blood LGE imaging perform non-inferiorly to conventional bright-blood LGE imaging for detecting myocardial scarring in patients with suspected non-ischemic cardiomyopathy?
Dark-blood LGE imaging is highly accurate and non-inferior to conventional bright-blood LGE for detecting and quantifying myocardial scarring in non-ischemic cardiomyopathies.
Absolute Event Rate: 5.35% vs 5.24%
p-value: p=0.84
(1) Background and Objectives: Dark-blood late gadolinium enhancement has been shown to be a reliable cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) method for assessing viability and depicting myocardial scarring in ischemic cardiomyopathy. The aim of this study was to evaluate dark-blood LGE imaging compared with conventional bright-blood LGE for the detection of myocardial scarring in non-ischemic cardiomyopathies. (2) Materials and Methods: Patients with suspected non-ischemic cardiomyopathy were prospectively enrolled in this single-centre study from January 2020 to March 2023. All patients underwent 1.5 T CMR with both dark-blood and conventional bright-blood LGE imaging. Corresponding short-axis stacks of both techniques were analysed for the presence, distribution, pattern, and localisation of LGE, as well as the quantitative scar size (%). (3) Results: 343 patients (age 44 ± 17 years; 124 women) with suspected non-ischemic cardiomyopathy were examined. LGE was detected in 123 of 343 cases (36%) with excellent inter-reader agreement (κ 0.97–0.99) for both LGE techniques. Dark-blood LGE showed a sensitivity of 99% (CI 98–100), specificity of 99% (CI 98–100), and an accuracy of 99% (CI 99–100) for the detection of non-ischemic scarring. No significant difference in total scar size (%) was observed. Dark-blood imaging with mean 5.35 ± 4.32% enhanced volume of total myocardial volume, bright-blood with 5.24 ± 4.28%, p = 0.84. (4) Conclusions: Dark-blood LGE imaging is non-inferior to conventional bright-blood LGE imaging in detecting non-ischemic scarring. Therefore, dark-blood LGE imaging may become an equivalent method for the detection of both ischemic and non-ischemic scars.
Brendel et al. (Fri,) conducted a cross-sectional in Suspected non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (n=343). Dark-blood late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) MRI vs. Conventional bright-blood LGE MRI was evaluated on total scar size (%) (p=0.84). Dark-blood LGE MRI was non-inferior to conventional bright-blood LGE in detecting non-ischemic scarring, with no significant difference in total scar size (5.35% vs 5.24%; p=0.84).