Histological validation of ShMOLLI equilibrium contrast CMR for the measurement of diffuse myocardial fibrosis

Methods In fourteen patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis awaiting valve surgery, we performed equilibrium contrast CMR (EQ-CMR: [Flett AS et al. Circulation 2010;122(2):138-44]) to calculate Vd(m) using ShMOLLI (Shortened Modified Look-Locker Inversion recovery [Piechnik at al. JCMR 2010;12:69]) and standard multibreathold (FLASH) mapping, for the pre and equilibrium contrast T1 mapping. We compared the results to surgical biopsy. Vd(m) was calculated by Vd(m)=(1-hematocrit)xΔ(1/ T1)myo ÷ Δ(1/T1)blood. Surgical left ventricular septal biopsies were fixed and stained with picrosirius red and then digitally photographed. Collagen volume fraction (CVF%) was calculated by a blinded observer using in-house software (macro written in Image J) for automated analysis. Patients with LGE in the biopsy area were pre-specified as being excluded from analysis.