Korean J Radiol.  2001 Sep;2(3):121-131. 10.3348/kjr.2001.2.3.121.

MR Imaging of Congenital Heart Diseases in Adolescents and Adults

• Choe YH
• Kang IS
• Park SW
• Lee HJ

• KMID: 754096
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/kjr.2001.2.3.121

Abstract

Echocardiography and catheterization angiography suffer certain limitations in the evaluation of congenital heart diseases in adults, though these are overcome by MRI, in which a wide field-of view, unlimited multiplanar imaging capability and three-dimensional contrast-enhanced MR angiography techniques are used. In adults, recently introduced fast imaging techniques provide cardiac MR images of sufficient quality and with less artifacts. Ventricular volume, ejection fraction, and vascular flow measurements, including pressure gradients and pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio, can be calculated or obtained using fast cine MRI, phase-contrast MR flow-velocity mapping, and semiautomatic analysis software. MRI is superior to echocardiography in diagnosing partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection, unroofed coronary sinus, anomalies of the pulmonary arteries, aorta and systemic veins, complex heart diseases, and postsurgical sequelae. Biventricular function is reliably evaluated with cine MRI after repair of tetralogy of Fallot, and Senning's and Mustard's operations. MRI has an important and growing role in the morphologic and functional assessment of congenital heart diseases in adolescents and adults.

Keyword

Heart, MR; Heart, diseases; Heart, congenital anomalies

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Adult
Heart Defects, Congenital/*diagnosis
Human
*Magnetic Resonance Imaging
*Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine
Support, Non-U.S. Gov't