Simple Congenital Heart Disease
• The distinction between “simple” and “complex” congenital heart disease is not well defined. In this chapter, simple congenital heart disease describes uncomplicated anatomic defects or shunt lesions that are…
Myocarditis
• Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) can be used to assess myocardial inflammation. • A single CMR study provides comprehensive information on ventricular size, morphology, function, pericardial involvement, and inflammatory activity….
Complex Congenital Heart Disease
• Anatomic delineation of complex CHD is just that–complex. No assumptions should be made regarding anatomy; segments (atria, ventricles, and great vessels), intersegmental connections (atria-to-ventricle and ventricle-to-great vessel), and venous…
Myocardial Masses
• The diagnosis of an intracardiac mass requires definition of location, extent, hemodynamic effect, and tissue characteristics. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is ideally suited to provide this information. • CMR…
Atria and Pulmonary Veins
• Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is an excellent imaging modality for defining pulmonary venous anatomy before pulmonary vein isolation for treatment of atrial fibrillation. • Pulmonary vein stenosis, a possible…
Normal Vessel Anatomy
• Optimal visualization of normal vascular anatomy with magnetic resonance angiography can be achieved with gadolinium-enhanced three-dimensional (3D) techniques, phased array surface coils, and parallel imaging. • Three-dimensional reconstruction techniques…
Left Ventricular Volumes, Ejection Fraction, Mass, and Shape
• Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is the most accurate and comprehensive method available for assessment of left ventricular structure and function. It provides high spatial and temporal resolution and volumetric…
Normal Cardiac Anatomy
• Knowledge of the anatomy of the heart and in particular the three-dimensional (3D) relationships of the various normal structures is essential. • The heart lies at an oblique and…
Perfusion Stress Magnetic Resonance
• Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) first-pass perfusion has developed considerably in recent years, showing good results in single- and multicenter trials. • CMR first-pass perfusion provides high spatial resolution images…
Measuring Regional Function
• Myocardial strain is potentially a better measure of regional contractile function than motion of the endocardial border or tissue velocity, because strain directly quantifies the change in shape of…
