Late gadolinium enhancement-cardiovascular magnetic resonance identifies coronary artery disease as the aetiology of left ventricular dysfunction in acute new-onset congestive heart failure

Aims We evaluated the ability of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) to identify acute new-onset heart failure (HF) with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD), whether or not in relation to underlying coronary artery disease (CAD), in patients with no clinical evidence of associated ischaemic cardiomyopathy. Methods and results Hundred consecutive patients admitted with acute new-onset decompensated HF and EF ,40%, with no clinical or electrocardiographic data suggestive of CAD. The patients were classified according to the presence or absence of significant CAD (stenosis � 70% in at least one major vessel). Twenty-one patients (21%) had si…