[Magnetocardiography: principles and potential uses in cardiology]

Magnetocardiography (MCG) is a non-invasive technique of studying cardiac electrophysiology activity. It appears that electric and magnetic measurements are not only complementary but provide independent information. Described over 25 years ago, recent technical progress in the field of supraconductivity has provided MCG with real clinical applications. It is still mostly used in research, but its clinical applications are beginning to develop. The most interesting clinical application of the MCG is certainly its capacity to provide a non-invasive anatomical localisation of the arrhythmogenic substrate or of accessory pathways. Nowadays, however, the accuracy of these localisations needs to be improved. When this has been accomplished, MCG could play a significant role in non-invasive cardiological investigation with well-defined clinical applications.