Evaluation of the Heart with Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Abstract

SUMMARYAfter compensating for two kinds of motion artifacts caused by cardiac beating and respiration, cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is now feasible for the diagnosis of various cardiac diseases. Taking cost-effectiveness into consideration, this paper reviews the experiences of preferable indications of cardiac MR imaging by demonstrating the characteristic preciseness and uniqueness that play an important role in obtaining time-volume curves consisting of the theoretically most accurate measurements of left and right ventricular volumes, in overall evaluation of the left ventricular apex and the right ventricle, in delineating the wide range of the coronary arterial tree, in measuring the most precise blood flow volume through the cross-sectional images of the vessels, and in assessing the spatial derivative of the blood flow velocity at the vessel wall, i.e., wall shear rate. (Jpn Heart J 2000; 41: 417-424)

Assessment of Right Ventricular Morphology and Function

“…It allows for the visualization of the entire right ventricle. 30 The high-contrast resolution of spin echo acquisition allows excellent differentiation between the right ventricular myocardium and the intracavitary blood pool and thus defines the epicardial and endocardial borders 3 (Figs. 22, 23, 24).…”