Heart MRI
Alternate Names : Magnetic Resonance Imaging - Cardiac, MRI of the Heart, NMR - Cardiac, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance - Cardiac
Definition A noninvasive procedure that uses powerful magnets and radio waves to construct pictures of the heart.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) produces pictures of the heart without exposure to ionizing radiation (X-rays). The heart may be scanned by itself, or a heart MRI may be part of a chest MRI.
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Why is the Test Performed?
MRI provides detailed pictures of the heart and blood vessels and can distinguish tissues from moving blood. It can differentiate between heart muscle and surrounding tissues and can clarify findings from previous X-rays or CT scans. MRI excels at showing the heart from multiple imaging planes. MRI is useful in the diagnosis of congenital abnormalities, abnormal growths, and tumors.
MRI is sometimes used to avoid the dangers of angiography, repeated exposure to radiation, or exposure to iodinated contrast dye. It may provide additional information when an echocardiogram is unclear, since bone and air do not interfere with imaging. In addition, cardiac MRI provides a wider view and better spatial resolution (detail) than echocardiogram.
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