Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of patients with valvular heart disease

Although computed tomographic (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) evaluation o f patients with valvular heart disease is almost never performed as a first line of diagnostic intervention, their performance does provide important morphologic and physiologic information concerning the etiology and the cur rent status of the valvular dysfunction. Evaluation of chamber and great ar tery size as well as ventricular wall thickness provide the basis for diagn osing and analyzing severity of valvular heart disease. Furthermore, additi onal findings, including calcification and evidence of interstitial pulmona ry edema, increase diagnostic sensitivity and confidence in diagnosis. MR e xamination has the advantage over CT of providing direct demonstration of t he signal void jets of dysfunctional valves, as well as a means of quantita ting regional and global ventricular function and severity of valvular pres sure gradients.