Clinical relevance of cardiac MR spectroscopy

MR spectroscopy is the only method that allows for the noninvasive study of cardiac metabolism in the human heart without the use of external radioact ive tracers. P-31-spectroscopy allows to examine the high-energy phosphates ATP and phosphocreatine. Clinical studies with P-31-spectroscopy have focu sed on three areas: heart failure, valve disease and coronary artery diseas e. Whether MR spectroscopy will become a routine diagnostic tool in the fut ure remains to be determined.