Evaluation of cardiac function with magnetic resonance imaging

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular imaging
• Medical physics
• Cardiac diagnostics

Background:

• Functional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging demonstrates high accuracy in quantifying ventricular function.
• MR imaging is considered a gold standard for in vivo assessment of ejection fraction, myocardial mass, and wall stress due to its accuracy and reproducibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the established accuracy and evolving capabilities of functional MR imaging in cardiac assessment.
• To highlight new applications such as myocardial contractility assessment and enhanced wall motion analysis.
• To discuss the impact of ultrafast MR imaging on routine cardiac function evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing evidence on functional MR imaging accuracy and reproducibility.
• Discussion of advanced MR techniques including myocardial tagging and finite element analysis.
• Evaluation of ultrafast echo-planar imaging modifications for rapid cardiac studies.

Main Results:

• MR imaging provides accurate and reproducible quantification of ventricular ejection fraction, myocardial mass, and wall stress.
• Emerging applications include assessing myocardial contractility via end-systolic volume-pressure relations.
• Ultrafast MR imaging significantly reduces examination times, enabling functional heart studies in seconds.

Conclusions:

• Functional MR imaging is a reliable tool for cardiac function assessment, with potential for advanced analyses.
• Ultrafast MR imaging promises to increase the adoption of MR for routine cardiac evaluations.
• Continued advancements in MR technology enhance its role in cardiovascular diagnostics.