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Magnetic Resonance Imaging Quantification of Pulmonary Perfusion using Calibrated Arterial Spin Labeling
Published on: May 30, 2011
Magnetic resonance imaging of pulmonary hypertension
Christian Johannes Kellenberger1
1University Children's Hospital Zurich - Eleonore Foundation, Lenggstrasse 30, CH-8008, Zürich, Switzerland. christian.kellenberger@kispi.uzh.ch.
Insights
Pediatric pulmonary hypertension, a serious condition, can be diagnosed and managed using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. MR provides detailed insights into structural, functional, and hemodynamic changes in children with this disease.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pediatric Imaging
- Radiology
Background:
- Pulmonary hypertension (PH) in children is rare but serious, with a poor long-term prognosis.
- Right-heart catheterization is the gold standard for direct pressure measurement.
- Echocardiography is commonly used for initial assessment and severity estimation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review cardiovascular magnetic resonance (MR) findings in pediatric pulmonary hypertension.
- To highlight MR's role in diagnosing and managing pediatric PH.
- To present diagnostic MR scenarios in children with suspected or associated PH.
Main Methods:
- Review of structural, functional, and hemodynamic cardiovascular MR findings.
- Discussion of typical diagnostic MR scenarios.
- Analysis of MR's contribution to diagnosis and patient management.
Main Results:
- Cardiovascular MR imaging can identify structural and hemodynamic signs of increased pulmonary arterial pressure.
- MR imaging reveals right ventricular pressure overload.
- MR findings aid in the diagnosis and management of pediatric PH.
Conclusions:
- Cardiovascular MR imaging is a valuable tool for diagnosing and managing pediatric pulmonary hypertension.
- MR provides crucial insights into the structural and hemodynamic impact of PH in children.
- Integrating MR findings can improve patient outcomes in pediatric PH.
Abstract:
Pulmonary hypertension is a rare but serious disease in children with potentially poor prognosis in the long term. Direct measurement of increased pressure in the pulmonary circulation requires right-heart catheterisation. Echocardiography is the imaging modality commonly used for suggesting the presence of pulmonary hypertension and estimating its severity. Recognition of structural and haemodynamic signs of increased pulmonary arterial pressure and pressure overload of the right ventricle at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging may contribute to the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension and management of these patients. In this article, the structural, functional, and haemodynamic cardiovascular MR findings of paediatric pulmonary hypertension are reviewed. Typical diagnostic MR scenarios in children with suspected pulmonary hypertension or in children with disease associated with pulmonary hypertension are presented and discussed.
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