Safety, feasibility, and diagnostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients with cardiac pacemakers and implantable cardioverters/defibrillators at 1.5 T

Cardiac MRI in patients with cardiac pacemakers: practical methods for reducing susceptibility artifacts and optimizing image quality

“…Because these artifacts appear as bands around the metallic parts with greater or lesser signal intensity, they may be mistaken for a pathologic finding and scar in the normal myocardium. Similar to previous studies, pronounced artifacts were visible in LGE images regardless of the technique used, especially in the anterior regions of left ventricle (12,19,20,22). We found that SPGR IR-prepared gradient echo sequence could provide higher IQ in terms of image artifacts than bSSFP readout sequence when patients had left-side implanted PM generators.…”

The Year in Cardiac Imaging

“…Under certain conditions, noncardiac MRI may be performed safely in patients with cardiac pacemakers and implantable cardioverters/defibrillators. Two recent small studies by Naehle et al (16) and Buendia et al (17) have extended this finding to cardiac MRI. Patients in these studies were highly selected, carefully monitored during scanning, and underwent rigorous evaluation of their devices both before and after MRI.…”

Role of imaging in the evaluation of single ventricle with the Fontan palliation

“…It is worth noting that in patients younger than 8 years old, CMR examinations may require the use of sedation or anaesthesia. Pacemakers have previously been considered to be a strong contraindication to undergoing a CMR examination;31 however, more recent reports have challenged this position and demonstrated that with appropriate planning and careful patient selection, patients with conventional pacemakers can have a CMR examination 32 33. Most Fontan patients have epicardial pacemakers.…”