Cardiac pseudotumor: tissue characterization by cardiovascular magnetic resonance

We present serial cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in a case of cardiac pseudotumor (inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor). The diagnosis proved difficult and was helped by myocardial tissue characterization using CMR. Intrinsic contrast and extrinsic contrast (using gadolinium-DTPA perfusion, early and late imaging) differentiated between normal and pathological tissues and demonstrated the changes in properties of cardiac pseudotumor over time. The case illustrates the versatility of CMR in tissue characterization, which is unavailable by other cardiac imaging modalities.