The Prognostic Value of Late Gadolinium Enhancement in Nonischemic Heart Disease

: Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) has become a standard clinical tool to evaluate myocardial fibrosis to define myocardial viability in the context of ischemic myocardial disease. More recently, LGE has also been used to characterize the presence and pattern of fibrosis in nonischemic cardiomyopathies. It yields unique and valuable diagnostic and prognostic insights for myriad nonischemic clinical indications and has become a key part of routine cardiac MR imaging, and a tool to guide treatment. This article reviews the technical aspects of LGE performance and its diagnostic and prognostic implications in nonischemic cardiomyopathy.