Cardiovascular magnetic resonance artefacts.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular imaging
• Medical physics
• Radiology

Background:

• Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is a widely used imaging modality for cardiac and vascular assessment.
• Despite its utility, CMR is susceptible to various imaging artifacts due to anatomical complexity, physiological motion (cardiac and respiratory), and blood flow.
• Existing literature often details these artifacts technically, potentially limiting clinical accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a clinically accessible summary of common artifacts encountered in cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR).
• To explain the underlying mechanisms of these artifacts and suggest practical solutions for mitigation.
• To serve as a resource for clinicians seeking to understand and overcome CMR imaging challenges.

Main Methods:

• Review of common pulse sequences and imaging techniques used in CMR.
• Description of typical cardiovascular applications of CMR.
• Systematic summary of prevalent CMR artifacts, including their mechanisms and potential corrective strategies.

Main Results:

• Identification and explanation of common artifacts in CMR, such as motion, flow, and susceptibility artifacts.
• Illustrative examples provided for each artifact type.
• Discussion of practical solutions and troubleshooting for artifact reduction.

Conclusions:

• Understanding common CMR artifacts is crucial for accurate cardiac and vascular diagnosis.
• This review offers a clinically-oriented guide to recognizing, understanding, and resolving CMR artifacts.
• Improved artifact management can enhance diagnostic confidence and patient care in cardiovascular imaging.