Additional diagnostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking in patients with biopsy-proven arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy

Background: We aim to evaluate the value of Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) feature tracking (CMR-FT) in addition to Task Force Criteria(TFC) in patients with (arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy) AC biopsy-proved. Methods: Thirty-five patients with AC histologically proven who performed CMR with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) acquisition were enrolled. The study population was divided in Group1 (negative CMR TFC and LV ejection fraction≥55%) and Group2 (positive CMR TFC and/or LVEF<55%) and compared to an age and gender-matched control group. CMR datasets of all patients were analyzed to calculate LV indexed end-diastolic (LVEDi) and end-systolic (LVESi) volumes and RV indexed end-diastolic (RVEDi) and end-systolic (RVESi) volumes, both LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and RV ejection fraction (RVEF). Moreover, LV and RV global longitudinal (GLS), circumferential (GCS) and radial (GRS) strain were measured. Results: The AC patients showed both higher LVEDi (p:0.002) and RVEDi (p:0.017) and lower LVEF (p: 0.016) as compared to control patients. Moreover, AC patients showed impaired LV-GLS (p < 0.001), LV-GRS (p < 0.001), LV-GCS (p < 0.001) and RV-GRS (p:0.026) as compared to control subjects. Group1 patients showed a significant reduction of LV-GRS (p < 0.05) and LV-GCS p < 0.01) as compared to control subjects. At univariate analysis LV-GCS was the most discriminatory parameter between Group1 vs heathy subjects with an optimal cut-off of −15.8 (Sensitivity: 74%; Specificity: 10%). Conclusions: In patients with AC biopsy-proven, CMR-FT could improve the diagnostic yield in the subset of patients who results negative for imaging TFC criteria resulting as useful gatekeeper for indication of myocardial biopsy in case of equivocal clinical and imaging presentation.