Cardiac Magnetic Resonance

Abstract

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is the imaging modality of choice for the assessment of the heart, providing both anatomic and physiologic information. Its use has increased over the last decade, given the improvement in imaging acquisition, quality, and clinical expertise, with growing evidence from clinical trials supporting its value. The high natural contrast between intracardiac and intravascular blood pool, lack of ionizing radiation, and the three-dimensional nature of this method provide substantial advantages over other methods. It has become an essential tool for the diagnosis and management of cardiomyopathies, both ischemic and nonischemic, and other cardiac pathologies such as myocarditis and pericarditis.