Multimodality Imaging in Restrictive Cardiomyopathies: An EACVI expert consensus document In collaboration with the "Working Group on myocardial and pericardial diseases" of the European Society of Cardiology Endorsed by The Indian Academy of Echocardiography

Abstract

Restrictive cardiomyopathies (RCMs) are a diverse group of myocardial diseases with a wide range of aetiologies including familial, genetic, and acquired diseases and ranging from very rare to relatively frequent cardiac disorders. This diversity is also reflected in the inconsistent classification of RCM across guidelines1–3 and even in the term ‘restrictive’, which is a functional characterization, unlike the morphological definition of the three other main types of cardiomyopathies, i.e. hypertrophic, arrhythmogenic right ventricular or dilated cardiomyopathies.4 Independently of the underlying cause, the pathophysiology, and clinical presentation, the initial phenotypic diagnosis of RCM requires imaging techniques. Many advances have occurred in the last decade in the diagnostic and prognostic assessment of RCM. This EACVI consensus document provides comprehensive information for the appropriateness of all non-invasive imaging techniques for the diagnosis, prognostic evaluation, and management of patients with RCM. This article was written in close collaboration between the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) and the Working Group (WG) on Myocardial and Pericardial diseases of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The types of RCM covered in this document are those included in the classification system proposed by the WG on Myocardial and Pericardial diseases1 as well as some non-sarcomeric hypertrophic cardiomyopathies (HCMs) with a restrictive physiology that in previous classifications were included in the RCM category, e.g. cardiac amyloidosis (CA).