CONTRIBUTIONS OF NEWER MR-IMAGING STRATEGIES FOR CONGENITAL HEART-DISEASE

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a valuable noninvasive adjunct in t he evaluation of congenital heart disease (CHD), With its multiplanar image acquisition, good spatial resolution, and large-field-of-view im age display, MR imaging can allow appreciation of vascular connections not readily apparent at echocardiography or angiography, Evaluation o f CHD with MR imaging has two components: definition of cardiovascular anatomy and characterization of blood flow, However, the variety of M R imaging options is large and often confusing. Besides spin-echo and gradient-echo imaging, MR imaging techniques for evaluation of CHD inc lude MR angiography, cine MR imaging, and flow quantification, An unde rstanding of the potential MR imaging options enables formulation and more efficient application of MR imaging strategies, When performed we ll, MR imaging greatly enhances surgical planning and can even obviate cardiac catheterization. MR imaging is also an excellent modality for serial evaluation of surgical results and complications in cases of C HD.