Magnetic resonance imaging in congenital heart disease

Magnetic resonance imaging in congenital heart disease

Advantages of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in congenital heart disease imaging

  1. No ionizing radiation
  2. 3D anatomy can be visualised
  3. Blood flow analysis is possible – black blood and white blood imaging > flowing blood is seen as white in white blood imaging.

Indications for cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging in CHD

  1. Repaired tetralogy of Fallot – Right ventricular outflow tract aneurysm  has to be looked for in cases in which a transannular patch has been used.
  2. Evaluation of Aortic arch pathology like coarctation and double aortic arch
  3. Transposition of great arteries
  4. Evaluation of vascular rings
  5. Evaluation of regional function by CMR
  6. Imaging of pulmonary veins
  7. Evaluation of endo grafts
  8. Coronary imaging by MRI  – Anomalous origin right coronary artery from RCA from left sinus can cause sudden cardiac death (SCD) during exercise, because the artery courses between the aorta and the pulmonary trunk.

Special modalities in CMR

  1. Phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging
  2. Magnetic resonance tagging for assessment of regional function by MRI
  3. CMR overlay over live fluoroscopy has been evaluated experimentally