title: CT and MR imaging findings of malignant cardiac tumors.
abstract: This article reviews CT and MRI features of malignant cardiac and pericardial tumors, most of which originate from the lung, breast, melanoma, leukemia, or lymphoma through lymphatic, hematogenous, transvenous, and direct pathways. Although echocardiography establishes the diagnosis in most cases, CT and MRI provide additional physical, spatial, and functional information that further aids the evaluation of metastases. For instance, CT provides superior resolution for detecting calcification or fat, while MRI with its direct multiplanar ability more completely characterizes the heart, pericardium, mediastinum, and lungs. MRI also helps elucidate the pathophysiological effects of these tumors on cardiac function through gated cine-loop sequences. Beyond tumor characterization, both modalities can help confirm diagnosis through the addition of contrast, which helps distinguish tumor from myocardium, thrombus, and blood flow artifact. Ultimately, MRI best facilitates surgical planning and posttreatment follow-up in large part because of its unparalleled ability to locate and delimit these tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. crestr@lsuhsc.edu
authors.forename: Carlos S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Restrepo
authors.forename: Art
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Largoza
authors.forename: Diego F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Diethelm
authors.forename: Prakash
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koshy
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.forename: Rogelio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moncada
authors.forename: Meenakshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pandit
mesh_terms: D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed