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Updated: May 17, 2026

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance for the Evaluation of Suspected Cardiac Thrombus: Conventional and Emerging Techniques
Published on: June 11, 2019
Contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging
Carlos S Restrepo1, Sina Tavakoli, Alejandro Marmol-Velez
1Department of Radiology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA. crestr@gmail.com
Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, enhanced with contrast agents, is a gold standard for assessing coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial viability. This technique improves diagnostic accuracy for various heart conditions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Radiology
- Medical Diagnostics
Background:
- Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has advanced significantly, becoming crucial for evaluating coronary artery disease (CAD).
- High-resolution CMR enhances assessment of cardiac anatomy and contractility.
- Intravenous gadolinium-based contrast agents improve CMR image quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the application of contrast-enhanced CMR imaging.
- To highlight its role in evaluating ischemic and nonischemic heart diseases.
- To emphasize its diagnostic value in coronary artery disease.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing delayed enhancement CMR imaging.
- Employing gadolinium-based contrast agents intravenously.
- Reviewing advanced contrast-enhanced CMR techniques.
Main Results:
- Delayed enhancement CMR is the gold standard for quantifying myocardial viability in CAD.
- Contrast-enhanced CMR can guide diagnosis, potentially avoiding invasive procedures like endomyocardial biopsy.
- This technique improves the localization of affected cardiac regions.
Conclusions:
- Contrast-enhanced CMR is a powerful tool for diagnosing and evaluating cardiovascular conditions.
- It offers significant advantages over traditional methods for assessing myocardial viability and CAD.
- The review underscores the expanding role of advanced CMR in clinical practice.
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