[The findings of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in pulmonary arterial hypertension].
Technical advances of multidetector-row computed tomography(MDCT) and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) made these modalities more important in the evaluation and for differential diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The advantages of CT and MRI are noninvasive examination, wide field of view, excellent reproducibility, high spatial resolution and 3-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction images. Morphological changes of the PAH, which are right ventricular hypertrophy and dilatation of main and central pulmonary artery(PA), right ventricle, right atria, superior and inferior vena cava, and coronary sinus, are depicted well by these modalities. The 3-D CT and MR angiography can depict peripheral and central PA, and pulmonary veins, which are important information of the cause of PAH. Myocardial changes of PAH can be detected by gadolinium delayed enhancement of MRI. CT and MRI are promising method to diagnose and manage the PAH in future.
Koito
Hitoshi
H
Department of Medicine, Kansai Medical University, Otokoyama Hospital.
D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed