Reproducible detection of myocardial fibrosis in postpartum women with preeclampsia using T1Rho mapping

Abstract Background Preeclampsia (PEC), a pregnancy-specific condition, is associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) risk. Although subclinical cardiac dysfunction has been reported in PEC, the contribution of myocardial fibrosis and inflammation remains unclear. A novel CV MRI (CMR), mapping parameter known as T1ρ, quantifies myocardial fibrosis without contrast. However, its utility in postpartum women with a history of preeclampsia—a population characterized by chronic inflammation—remains unknown. We hypothesized that cardiac T1ρ is elevated in women with preeclampsia compared to controls, furthermore, we also evaluated reproducibility of the measure. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 46 prospectively enrolled postpartum women underwent CMR 3–9 months after delivery, including 23 with a history of PEC and 23 age-matched controls without PEC. Standard cine imaging quantified left ventricular end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), ejection fraction (EF), and left ventricular mass (LVM). T1ρ mapping was performed using a spin-lock prepared gradient echo sequence. Group comparisons used Welch’s t-tests, with p