How are late gadolinium enhancement images obtained, and how are they used?
LGE images are obtained 10 to 15 minutes after intravenous injection of gadolinium-based contrast. Inversion recovery pulses are used to null the signal from normal myocardium to accentuate the bright signal from abnormal myocardium. When an appropriate inversion time (TI) is used, normal myocardium is dark. Myocardial late (or delayed) enhancement is present when there is myocardial fibrosis or scarring. Subendocardial or transmural late enhancement is usually related to prior myocardial infarction, while midmyocardial or epicardial late enhancement is related to nonischemic heart disease
