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Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in children

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Abstract

MRI is an important additional tool in the diagnostic work-up of children with congenital heart disease. This review aims to summarise the role MRI has in this patient population. Echocardiography remains the main diagnostic tool in congenital heart disease. In specific situations, MRI is used for anatomical imaging of congenital heart disease. This includes detailed assessment of intracardiac anatomy with 2-D and 3-D sequences. MRI is particularly useful for assessment of retrosternal structures in the heart and for imaging large vessel anatomy. Functional assessment includes assessment of ventricular function using 2-D cine techniques. Of particular interest in congenital heart disease is assessment of right and single ventricular function. Two-dimensional and newer 3-D techniques to quantify flow in these patients are or will soon become an integral part of quantification of shunt size, valve function and complex flow patterns in large vessels. More advanced uses of MRI include imaging of cardiovascular function during stress and tissue characterisation of the myocardium. Techniques used for this purpose need further validation before they can become part of the daily routine of MRI assessment of congenital heart disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Erasmus Medical Centre — Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Willem A. Helbing & Mohamed Ouhlous

  2. Department of Paediatrics (Division of Cardiology), Sp-2.429, P.O. Box 2060, 3000, CB, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Willem A. Helbing

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  1. Willem A. Helbing
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  2. Mohamed Ouhlous
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Correspondence to Willem A. Helbing.

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Helbing, W.A., Ouhlous, M. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in children. Pediatr Radiol 45, 20–26 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-014-3175-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-014-3175-x

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