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Regional myocardial function: advances in MR imaging and analysis.
Ernesto Castillo1, João A C Lima, David A Bluemke
1Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MRI-143 Nelson Basement, 600 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21287-0845, USA. ecastillo@jhmi.edu
Summary
Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (MR) imaging now offers faster, more accurate assessments of heart function. New techniques like cine MR tagging and phase-contrast MR imaging enable precise measurements of myocardial deformation and wall motion.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular imaging
- Medical physics
- Cardiac function analysis
Background:
- Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (MR) imaging offers accurate 3D analysis of cardiac function.
- Previous quantitative assessments of regional function were hindered by long acquisition times and complex analysis.
- Steady-state free precession cine MR imaging enhances myocardial wall motion assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review advancements in cardiovascular MR imaging for cardiac function assessment.
- To highlight techniques improving speed and precision in myocardial analysis.
- To discuss the potential of new strain imaging methods in clinical practice.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing steady-state free precession cine MR imaging for improved wall motion analysis.
- Employing cine MR tagging with harmonic phase analysis for precise strain measurements.
- Applying velocity-encoded and stimulated-echo techniques (e.g., phase-contrast MR, DENSE) for high-resolution strain mapping.
Main Results:
- Advances in gradient technology and reconstruction have accelerated MR image acquisition, enabling real-time cine MR imaging.
- Cine MR tagging combined with harmonic phase analysis allows for prompt and accurate strain measurements.
- Phase-contrast MR imaging and displacement encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE) provide detailed strain maps.
Conclusions:
- Modern cardiovascular MR imaging techniques significantly enhance the speed and accuracy of cardiac function assessment.
- New strain imaging methods show promise for detailed myocardial deformation analysis.
- Future clinical validation is essential to determine the impact of these advanced MR techniques on cardiac disease management.