Analytic Description of MR Diffusion Indices in Ex-Vivo Human Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Eric Stephant¹, Carole Frindel¹, Marc Robini¹, Laurent Fanton², Magalie Viallon³, Pierre Croisille⁴

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common genetic heart disease and the leading cause of sudden death in the youngs. HCM is well known to contain major changes at the structural level with myocytes disarray, increase in collage content and modification of the extracellular matrix (ECM), that can only be determined using invasive focal myocardial biopsy or after death. In-vivo Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI) of the heart remains very challenging due to cardiac and respiratory motion. Most of the cardiac DWI studies have been performed with animals using a high-field scanner or extra-long time acquisition but that will never be applicable to in-vivo imaging. Our objective is therefore to study hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in human and to find MR diffusion indices that reflect the myocardial fiber disarray and ECM changes.