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Cardiovascular whole-body MRI
Harald Kramer1, Konstantin Nikolaou, Maximilian F Reiser
1Department of Clinical Radiology, University Hospitals Munich, Grosshadern Campus, Ludwig Maxmilians University Munich, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich, Germany. harald.kramer@med.uni-muenchen.de
Insights
Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death. Early screening for atherosclerotic disease using non-invasive imaging like MRI is crucial for managing arterial conditions and improving patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Medicine
- Medical Imaging
- Cardiology
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality in industrialized nations.
- Atherosclerotic changes in the arterial vasculature contribute to the top five causes of death.
- Atherosclerotic disease presents significant economic challenges due to long-term treatment and potential work disability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the importance of early screening for atherosclerotic disease.
- To discuss the limitations of traditional diagnostic methods.
- To introduce advanced non-invasive imaging techniques for vascular assessment.
Main Methods:
- Review of current diagnostic modalities for arterial and cardiac imaging.
- Comparison of invasive versus non-invasive examination techniques.
- Emphasis on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as a non-invasive option.
Main Results:
- Ankle-brachial index (ABI) can indicate peripheral artery occlusive disease (PAOD) but lacks precise localization.
- Echocardiography is operator-dependent for assessing cardiac function.
- MRI offers non-invasive imaging without ionizing radiation and provides excellent, reproducible image quality.
Conclusions:
- Early detection of atherosclerotic disease allows for better management and potentially decelerated progression.
- Non-invasive imaging techniques are essential for accurate diagnosis and localization of vascular pathologies.
- MRI represents a significant advancement in non-invasive cardiovascular and vascular imaging.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular diseases still rank number one in mortality statistics in the industrialized world. In these countries the five most common causes of death are associated to atherosclerotic changes of the arterial vasculature. Due to its often long lasting treatment and the possible loss of ability to work atherosclerotic disease constitutes an economic factor which should not be disregarded. Thus screening for atherosclerotic disease seems to be reasonable because as known the potential to influence atherosclerotic changes is higher in an early stage of the disease. Not in every case it is possible to cure the disease but sometimes progression can be controlled and decelerated. Imaging of the arterial vasculature was limited to invasive procedures associated with ionizing radiation for a long time. Non-invasive exams like the "ankle-brachial-index" (ABI) can indicate the presence of PAOD, an exact localization of the pathologic changes is only possible with imaging methods. For cardiac imaging likewise the only non-invasive exams have been ECG and auscultation. Certainly echocardiography is an excellent technique to access cardiac function but it depends very much on both, the examining physician and the patient. MRI constitutes a non-invasive imaging modality without ionizing radiation offering excellent reproducible image quality.
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