Magnetic resonance imaging and spiral-CT in diagnosis and follow-up in adults with congenital heart and vessel disease

Management of patients with congenital heart disease requires detailed info rmation on cardiac and great vessel morphology. In previous years the diagn osis and treatment of congenital malformations often depended on cardiac ca theterization and in many institutions cardiac catheterization still remain s the gold standard against which other modalities are measured. In the past decade, however, imaging methodologies have increasingly shifte d toward the use of less invasive and noninvasive techniques. Currently, ec hocardiography is the initial method of choice in evaluating the anatomy, e specially in younger patients. Meanwhile, several newer imaging techniques like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) are in u se. They offer extremely useful information about abnormalities of the hear t and great vessels as well as for the assessment of cardiac anatomy and fu nction. Echo, angiography, MRT and CT should be seen as complementary investigation s in adult congenital heart disease.