Dilated cardiomyopathy

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterized by enlargement of the heart with associated reduced left ventricular function. From an imaging perspective, important requirements are to exclude other pathologies, assess disease severity, guide therapeutic management, and identify complications. Establishing the imaging diagnosis of DCM is key to guiding the management of DCM. In this chapter we discuss how to use imaging to make an accurate diagnosis of DCM, and review how to exclude coronary artery disease (CAD) and valvular disease as these are two important differentials with differing management strategies. We then review the diagnostic and prognostic capabilities of echocardiography, cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and nuclear techniques including single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) in DCM, with a focus on where imaging can identify particular causes of DCM.