Loeffler endocarditis: magnetic resonance imaging features of pre- and post-operation

Loeffler endocarditis is clinically presented as restrictive cardiomyopathy, which is the least common of the three major categories of cardiomyopathic disorders.1 The endomyocardial fibrosis was considered as its main pathophysiologic changes.2-4 Generally speaking, the characteristics include thickening of the apex and inflow tracts of one or both ventricles, and the papillary muscle and chordae tendineae also can be involved in some cases. The onset of apical thrombosis is very common. In the aspect of showing all of these characteristics, ultrasound cardiography (UCG) has low diagnostic accuracy (not more than 80%);5 CT has been reported rarely; cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has dramatic advantages. We present the CMR findings in a typical case of Loeffler endocarditis pre-and post-operation.