Meeting Highlights of the 11th Annual Scientific Sessions of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, Los Angeles, February 1–3, 2008

This paper features the most interesting presentations and discussions of the 2008 Annual Sessions of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, which were held in Los Angeles from February 1 to 3, 2008. With more than 1100 attendees, this was the largest of the SCMR meetings ever. Among this year's highlights were scientific reports on CMR-based risk assessment, non-contrast tissue characterization, 3 T data, and interventional CMR. Introduction This year's Annual Sessions of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) were held from February 1 to 3 in Los Angeles, California. The meeting attracted a record number of more than 1100 attendees. The main program was the largest on CMR ever and featured a total of 41 sessions, among them 15 for oral abstract sessions, nine clinical, five on experimental MR, four with case discussions, two offering an informal "Coffee with the Expert", two on interventional sessions, two on congenital CMR, one on political aspects, and one for trainees. 154 invited talks provided state-of-the-art review on experimental and clinical CMR protocols, controversial aspects and new data. Among this year's areas of interest were risk stratification of CMR, interventional CMR, molecular CMR, and tissue characterization in nonischemic cardiomyopathies. Among 532 submitted abstracts, 291 were accepted as posters, 12 as moderated posters, and 102 for oral presentations.