Dedicated phased array cardiac receiver coil

Indications for LGE‐CMR included diagnosis of underlying aetiology in new onset heart failure, follow‐up in known cardiomyopathy, or LV assessment prior to device implantation. All CMR acquisitions were performed on 1.5T MRI scanners (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany, and GE Healthcare, Chicago, IL, USA) with a dedicated phased array cardiac receiver coil. Myocardial function and anatomy were assessed using retrospective ECG‐gated steady‐state free precession cine imaging with breath‐holding in standard three long‐axis views and a stack short‐axis slices, covering the ventricles from base to apex. Contrast images were acquired approximately 10–15 min after intravenous gadolinium administration using a T1‐weighted inversion recovery‐prepared gradient echo sequence with optimized inversion time.

All CMR scans were performed on 1.5T scanners (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany; and GE Healthcare, Chicago, IL) with a dedicated phased array cardiac receiver coil. The CMR scans included retrospective ECG‐gated steady‐state free precession cine imaging with breath‐holding, in standard 2‐chamber and 4‐chamber long‐axis views, for the assessment of ventricular and atrial function. All patients were in sinus rhythm during the CMR scan.