Current artefacts in cardiac and chest magnetic resonance imaging: tips and tricks

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) offers significant advantages for evaluating cardiovascular and thoracic disorders, including non-ionizing radiation, excellent contrast, and high spatial resolution.
• Despite its benefits, MRI is susceptible to various artifacts stemming from hardware, software, environmental factors, or patient physiology.
• High-field-strength MRI (e.g., 3 Tesla) and specific challenges in cardiac imaging, such as motion and new MR-conditional devices, can exacerbate artifact prevalence and impact image quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of common artifacts encountered in cardiac and chest MRI.
• To explain the origins and visual characteristics of these artifacts.
• To discuss methods for correcting or minimizing artifacts to prevent misdiagnosis.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on MRI artifacts in cardiovascular and thoracic imaging.
• Analysis of artifact categories, including those related to scanner technology, patient motion, and implanted devices.
• Discussion of acquisition and reconstruction techniques relevant to artifact understanding.

Main Results:

• Identified common artifacts in cardiac and chest MRI, detailing their sources (e.g., hardware, motion, implants).
• Illustrated the appearance of various artifacts and their potential to degrade image quality.
• Highlighted the impact of high-field strength MRI on artifact generation.

Conclusions:

• Understanding artifact origins and appearance is crucial for accurate interpretation of cardiac and chest MRI.
• Knowledge of acquisition and reconstruction techniques aids in artifact recognition and management.
• Implementing corrective strategies can improve image quality and diagnostic confidence in cardiovascular and thoracic MRI.