Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Anatomical display using spin echo images.
Magnetic resonance is a new method of imaging which is completely non-invasive and is being increasingly applied to the study of the heart. Spin echo images using cardiac gated acquisition have the advantage that moving blood has no signal giving excellent contrast compared to the surrounding soft tissues. Images can be acquired in orthogonal or oblique planes, and up to 16 can be produced within 3 to 4 minutes depending on heart rate. Useful information can be obtained in a variety of conditions including lesions of the myocardium, aorta and pericardium, the detection of tumours and thrombus and the complete display of anatomy in patients with congenital heart disease, both pre- and postoperatively. Although its place in the investigation of heart disease is still being established, already it can be regarded as an imaging technique complementary to echocardiography, which has partially replaced diagnostic invasive angiography and may eventually replace it completely.
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D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D010496:Pericardium / Q000473:pathology