2016 Volume 32 Issue 4 Pages 291-306
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has undergone rapid evolution over the last few years. Significant advances in pulse sequence design, scanner hardware, and coil technology have resulted in progressive expansion of the clinical applications of CMR. Some of these have already been applied in daily clinical use, based on in vitro and in vivo validation. CMR is now recognized as the reference standard for the assessment of regional and global systolic function, hemodynamics of congenital heart disease, detection of myocardial infarction and viability, and the evaluation of pericardial disease and cardiac masses. When using CMR, pediatric cardiologists must understand six key features:
1) The non-invasive modality without exposure to harmful ionizing radiation.
2) Precise volumetric and functional analysis without restrictions related to acoustic windows, scar tissue, and other postoperative changes.
3) Ability to measure flow volume for almost all blood vessels.
4) Ability to display cardiovascular anatomy in three-dimensional projections without contrast medium.
5) Ability to assess myocardial tissue characterization.
6) Disadvantages including lack of portability, implanted magnetic material, and time and labor consuming (with high skill requirements).
In this review we described the key technical and practical aspects of CMR and highlighted some important considerations for pediatric patients.
