MRI of the heart and blood vessels

MRI of the heart and blood vessels in EMC

• MRI of the heart
• MR angiography of head and neck vessels
• MR angiography of the abdominal aorta and its branches with intravenous contrast
• MR angiography of the renal arteries with intravenous contrast
• MR angiography of the arteries of the lower extremities with intravenous contrast
• Contrast-free MR angiography of pelvic and lower extremity arteries

The main indications for MRI of the heart:

IHD is an ischemic heart disease (it allows you to assess the volume parameters, contractility of the myocardium, as well as the degree of myocardial damage).
• Cardiomyopathy – changes in the structure and function of the heart muscle (hypertrophic, dilated, ischemic, etc.). Here, MRI allows you to assess the structure of the heart muscle even without using contrast agents.
• Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle. MRI allows you to visualize areas of extracellular water. After intravenous contrast, the drug selectively accumulates in places where extracellular water accumulates, thereby changing the resonant properties of tissues. Thus, it is possible to accurately determine the localization and extent of the inflammatory process in the heart muscle.
• Diseases of the pericardium (the outer lining of the heart). MRI allows you to accurately assess the structure of the pericardium, determine its thickening, the presence of calcification areas in it; effusion (accumulation of fluid) in the pericardial cavity and bulky formations.
• Acquired heart defects. It allows you to evaluate the function of the heart valve apparatus (to identify regurgitation (reverse blood flow), to estimate its area, and also to obtain a three-dimensional model of the heart valve), to estimate the blood flow rate.
• Congenital heart defects. Assessment of intra- and extracardiac anatomy, often complex combined heart defects; determination of septal defects, intracardiac discharge, etc.
• Tumors of the heart: they can be pseudotumor (parietal and valvular thrombi) and truly tumor (myxoma, rhabdomyoma, fibroids, lipomas, teratomas, etc.).