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Palermi, Stefano

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1558-4857

A5045866816 | I71267560

Mayo Clinic

University of Naples Federico II

Citations 1

The Role of Cardiovascular Imaging in the Diagnosis of Athlete’s Heart: Navigating the Shades of Grey

Journal of Imaging | September 16, 2024 | Volume: 10 | Issue: 9 | Pages: 230

10.3390/jimaging10090230 | PMID 39330450

Athlete’s heart (AH) represents the heart’s remarkable ability to adapt structurally and functionally to prolonged and intensive athletic training. Characterized by increased left ventricular (LV) wall thickness, enlarged cardiac chambers, and augmented cardiac mass, AH typically maintains or enhances systolic and diastolic functions. Despite the positive health implications, these adaptations can obscure the difference between benign physiological changes and early manifestations of cardiac pathologies such as dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM). This article reviews the imaging characteristics of AH across various modalities, emphasizing echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), and cardiac computed tomography as primary tools for evaluating cardiac function and distinguishing physiological adaptations from pathological conditions. The findings highlight the need for precise diagnostic criteria and advanced imaging techniques to ensure accurate differentiation, preventing misdiagnosis and its associated risks, such as sudden cardiac death (SCD). Understanding these adaptations and employing the appropriate imaging methods are crucial for athletes’ effective management and health optimization.