Infiltrative cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Infiltrative cardiomyopathies are comprised of a variety of inherited or acquired conditions. Myocardial involvement is often part of a complex systemic disorder, but sometimes the disease can manifest predominantly in the heart. Clinical manifestations are heterogeneous, from mild symptoms to early cardiac death. A multimodality imaging approach by means of echocardiography, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), and molecular imaging is necessary; a comprehensive assessment of morphologic, functional, tissue, and metabolic changes is the key to improve the pathophysiologic understanding of these diseases, favouring early differential diagnosis and risk stratification of patients. Furthermore, quantitative, non-invasive assessment of tissue pathology is now available and plays a crucial role in the follow-up of patients affected by infiltrative cardiomyopathies, improving their management and potentially guiding the development of existing and new therapies.