CARDIAC AND PARACARDIAC MASSES - COMPLEMENTARY ROLE OF ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY AND MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING

The objective of this study teas to compare the roles of echocardiogra phy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of patients suspected of having cardiac and paracardiac masses. Echocardiography is a widely available and useful technique for characterizing cardiac and paracardiac abnormalities but suffers from a limited field of view and restricted acoustic access to mediastinal structures. MRI is an. alternative noninvasive imaging technique for investigation of these a bnormalities. Fourteen consecutive patients suspected of having cardia c or paracardiac masses on echocardiography were referred for cardiac MRI. MRI gave more complete visualization in four patients with infilt rating lung tumors and in one patient with intracardiac metastases who had a technically inadequate echo. Echo showed a rapidly moving Chiar i network not seen on MRI. Both echo and MRI were helpful in patients with hiatal hernias (2); lipomatous hypertrophy of the interatrial sep tum (2); left atrial myxoma (1); and calcified mitral annulus (3). We conclude that echocardiography and MRI should be used together to inve stigate patients with cardiac and paracardiac masses.