[Demonstration of intra- and paracardiac space-occupying processes using magnetic resonance tomography]

Magnetic resonance tomography (in three planes) was performed on 21 patients in whom echocardiography, angiocardiography or a chest X-ray had indicated or was suspicious of intra- or paracardiac space-occupying lesions. MR imaging demonstrated bronchial carcinoma with aortic displacement in two (one of them also with vena cava occlusion); hypernephroma with displacement of the right atrium in one; paracardiac teratoma in two and lipoma in one; aortic aneurysm in two; atrial tumour in five; atrial thrombi in one; ventricular thrombi in four; and exclusion of intra-cardiac lesions in two. Thus the method distinguished between vascular and tumourous paracardiac space-occupying lesions and demonstrated origin and structural relationship of paracardiac tumours, especially to the great vessels. Size, shape and mobility of intracardiac tumours was also demonstrated. For both intra- and paracardiac space-occupying lesions there were the beginnings of structural differentiation.