Identification of calcified intracardiac lesions using gradient echo MR imaging

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, particularly gradient echo signal imaging (GEI), has advanced cardiac imaging capabilities.
• Evaluating intracardiac calcified lesions remains a challenge with conventional imaging techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of GEI in detecting and defining intracardiac calcified lesions.
• To compare GEI performance against conventional spin echo (SE) MR techniques for cardiac calcification.

Main Methods:

• Patients with suspected cardiac calcification underwent both conventional spin echo (SE) and gradient echo imaging (GEI).
• Echocardiography, fluoroscopy, and surgical confirmation were used to validate findings.

Main Results:

• Gradient echo imaging (GEI) clearly demonstrated intracardiac calcified lesions as areas of marked hypointensity due to magnetic susceptibility differences.
• Conventional spin echo (SE) MR imaging was unable to define these calcifications.
• All GEI findings were consistent with echocardiographic, fluoroscopic, and surgical confirmations of cardiac calcification.

Conclusions:

• Gradient echo imaging (GEI) is a valuable tool for defining intracardiac calcific lesions.
• The presence of profound signal void areas on cardiac GEI studies should prompt suspicion of calcification.