3) Identification of the underlying etiology is important because the management of the underlying disease differs. However, heart failure is a clinical diagnosis; chest radiography and electrocardiography are insensitive in the detection of left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction, and only about 50% of heart failure patients show decreased LV ejection fraction.2) Imaging tools can give information about LV systolic function, additional cardiac structural abnormalities, hemodynamic status and sometimes the chance of reversibility. Moreover,

repeated imaging studies can be used in the assessment of therapeutic responses. Although most patients with heart failure have a chronic, progressive and eventually fatal disease, a subgroup has a potentially Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical reversible condition.4) Failure to recognize this may lead to patients not being given specific therapy, inappropriate insertion of implantable devices or continuing on heart failure therapy after resolution Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of the problem. As these patients with reversible cardiomyopathy have similar echocardiographic findings (dilatation of left, right or both ventricles with impaired systolic function), consideration

of potential etiology should be the second diagnostic step in patients Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical with impaired LV systolic function. This review focuses on the echocardiographic and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging patterns and clinical outcomes of heart failure etiologies causing reversible LV systolic dysfunction (Table 1). Table 1 Possible Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical causes

of reversible cardiomyopathy Diagnostic Tools for LV Evaluation in Heart Failure Because some etiologies that lead to LV systolic dysfunction are potentially reversible, it is important to identify the underlying condition responsible for the cardiac abnormalities.5) Echocardiography This is usually the initial and preferred diagnostic test in the assessment of heart failure.5) Its use to distinguish systolic heart failure is critical in decision-making about Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical drugs and devices such as implantable devices or ventricular assist device.6) Decreased LV ejection fraction has been associated with poor prognosis.6) In addition to assessment of ventricular size and systolic function, echocardiography can provide information about diastolic, valvular function and hemodynamic status.5) Sequential echocardiography is widely used for monitoring the evolution of the condition and response to therapy. While this latter application is considered appropriate L-NAME HCl especially in patients with a change in clinical status (appropriateness score 9),7) the large (> 10%) confidence intervals of ejection fraction measured with 2-dimensional echocardiography suggest this may not be a useful tool for identification of subtle changes.8) Some echocardiographic features can provide clues to the causative etiology of heart failure, although tissue selleck chemical characterization with other imaging such as CMR is often required to clarify the differential diagnosis.