RöFo : Fortschritte auf dem Gebiete der Röntgenstrahlen und der Nuklearmedizin
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According to the WHO classification, cardiomyopathies are a group of diseases which are associated with myocardial dysfunction and can be classified either as primary or secondary cardiomyopathies. Genetic disorders have been identified in certain primary cardiomyopathies, however often the etiology remains unknown. The term "secondary cardiomyopathy" is used to specify diseases with the clinical indications of a cardiomyopathy, but can be attributed to a certain pathophysiological mechanism such as exposure to toxic substances, metabolic syndromes or systemic diseases. ⋯ Morphological and functional information can be achieved with a high level of accuracy and reproducibility. Tissue alteration of the myocardium can be detected assessing regional contrast enhancement, T1- and T2-signal intensities and chemical shift phenomena. This article describes characteristic aspects of MR imaging for the diagnosis of primary and secondary cardiomyopathies.