OBJECTIVE: To compare the imaging characteristics of magnetic resonance (MR) 
delayed enhancement between ischemic and nonischemic myocardial diseases.
METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the imaging and clinical characteristics of 
25 patients who had MR delayed enhancement.
RESULTS: Among the 25 cases, 19 cases were ischemic heart diseases, in which the 
delayed enhancement was subendocardium, non-transmural or transmural; two cases 
were hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, in which the delayed enhancement was midwall 
in the hypertrophic myocardium, strip- and patch-shaped; one case was dilated 
cardiomyopathy, in which the delayed enhancement was diffuse small midwall spots 
two cases was restrictive cardiomyopathy, in which the delayed enhancement was 
located in the area of the subendocardium both of the right and left ventricles; 
and one case was a mass of the lateral wall of the left ventricle, in which the 
delayed enhancement with a clumpy shape was shown.
CONCLUSIONS: MR myocardial delayed enhancement is not a specific sign of 
myocardial infarction of ischeminc heart disease. The differentiation of the 
etiology of the delayed enhancement relies upon both the MR images and the 
clinical history.