VENOATRIAL PATHWAYS AFTER THE MUSTARD OPERATION FOR TRANSPOSITION OF THE GREAT-ARTERIES - ANATOMIC AND FUNCTIONAL MR-IMAGING

PURPOSE: To evaluate spin-echo (SE) and cine gradient-echo (GRE) magne tic resonance (MR) imaging with velocity mapping for detecting late co mplications of the Mustard operation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-on e patients were studied with MR imaging 1-22 years after undergoing th e Mustard operation. Twenty were also studied with transthoracic echoc ardiography, 18 with angiocardiography, and five with transesophageal echocardiography. RESULTS: MR imaging showed no venoatrial obstruction in nine patients. This result was confirmed with angiocardiography in seven cases and postmortem examination in one case. In one case, MR i maging demonstrated a leak at the baffle suture line. Of 12 cases with venoatrial obstruction at MR imaging, nine were confirmed with angioc ardiography or surgery. There were two false-positive MR studies and o ne case in which no conclusion was reached. CONCLUSION: With addition of cine GRE sequences and velocity mapping to SE sequences, MR imaging is a useful noninvasive method of investigating late complications of the Mustard operation.