Future prospects in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract

To appreciate the impact that key developments will have on the future of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, it is instructive to consider its present status. CMR has passed the threshold of being used primarily by innovators, and is now in the early adopter stage. To reach this threshold has taken many years, but its adoption by early majority users is expected to accelerate the growth of CMR. A number of factors govern its natural growth potential, including physician education and credentialing, scanner availability, technology, and reimbursement policies. The intrinsic dimensional accuracy of CMR, coupled with its high level of reproducibility, make it ideal for inclusion in trials, potentially with dramatic reductions in trial duration and the number of subjects required. Clinically, there are a number of applications for which CMR is widely regarded as being the diagnostic test of choice. Software and hardware developments that speed up the basic CMR procedure are being incorporated into scanners, extending the functionality of routine applications such as flow imaging and tag visualization. Exciting areas that are close to routine application include coronary artery imaging, and evaluation of myocardial perfusion and viability status.

Vascular Imaging: An Unparalleled Decade

“…Today, MR angiography is a routine package on MR equipment, and the technique has moved from being a new development in the hands of innovative enthusiasts to a routine work tool in the early stage of adoption. 33 Despite this evolutionary phase, differences in practice patterns, and the introduction of several gadolinium compounds to the market, contrast-enhanced MR angiography has maintained high levels of accuracy when compared to the ''gold standard'' catheter arteriography. 34 Contrast-enhanced MR angiography is indicated as a first-line investigation whenever the pulse pattern and symptoms indicate proximal disease.…”