T2-weighted imaging of the heart--a pictorial review

Spin-Echo techniques in cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) have been used for decades, primarily to image cardiac anatomy. More recently, T2-weighted (T2W) imaging has seen an increased role in CMR protocols, especially in tissue characterization in acute myocardial processes. This article will review current methodologies of cardiac T2W acquisition and their limitations, as well as approach to both semi-quantitative and quantitative analyses. The appearance and utility of T2W imaging in a myriad of pathologic myocardial processes such as acute myocardial infarction, acute viral myocarditis, reversible stress-related cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and cardiac sarcoidosis, will also be discussed.