Cardiovascular Mri In Practice

Cardiovascular MR imaging has become a robust, clinically useful mod- ity, and the rapid pace of innovation and important information it conveys have attracted many students whose goal is to become adept practitioners. In turn, many excellent textbooks have been written to aid this process. These books are necessary and useful in helping the student learn the underlying pulse sequences used in CMR, as well as the imaging findings in a variety of disorders. However, one of the difficulties inherent in learning CMR from a book is that the printed format is not the ideal medium to d- play the dynamic imaging that comprises a typical CMR case. For instance, it may be difficult to perceive focal areas of wall motion abnormality on serial static pictures, but these abnormalities are often easily seen on cine loops. One might say that trying to learn CMR solely from a standard textbook with illustrations is like trying to learn to drive by looking at snapshots obtained through the windshield of a moving car. The learner needs to see the cardiac motion and decide if it is normal or abnormal; he or she needs to be in the driver’s seat. An additional limitation of the ava- able textbooks on CMR is that while they often have superb illustrations of abnormal findings, these images have been preselected.

This title provides an easily digestible and portable synopsis of the technique which will suit the needs of cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons wishing to acquaint themselves with what CMR can do, and what it cannot. Beginning with an outline of some of the basic principles of MRI, the following chapters concentrate on the cardiac side of CMR with a later section on its more established vascular uses.

The medical imaging technology used for the non-invasive assessment of the function and structure of the cardiovascular system is termed as cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging. It corresponds to other imaging techniques such as cardiac CT, echocardiography and nuclear medicine. It plays an important role in evidence-based diagnostic and therapeutic pathways in cardiovascular diseases. It helps in the assessment of cardiomyopathies, vascular diseases, myocarditis, congenital heart disease, and myocardial ischemia and other cardiac diseases. It also plays a crucial role in surgical planning in complex congenital heart disease. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging utilizes the basic principles of image reconstruction and acquisition like other MRI techniques. The various advancements in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging are glanced at and their applications as well as ramifications are looked at in detail in this book. It elucidates new techniques and their applications in a multidisciplinary manner. This book will serve as a reference to a broad spectrum of readers.

This extensively illustrated volume has been specifically geared towards optimal use of MRI systems. The text provides essential theoretical background information: Imaging acquisition and potential pitfalls are also examined in detail. Most importantly, structured guidelines are provided on the interpretation of clinical data in the wide range of cardiac pathology that can be encountered.

This book is a comprehensive and authoritative text on the expanding scope of CMR, dedicated to covering basic principles in detail focusing on the needs of cardiovascular imagers. The target audience for this book includes CMR specialists, trainees in CMR and cardiovascular medicine, cardiovascular physicists or clinical cardiovascular imagers. This book includes figures and CMR examples in the form of high-resolution still images and is divided in two sections: basic MRI physics, i.e. the nuts and bolts of MR imaging; and imaging techniques (pulse sequences) used in cardiovascular MR imaging. Each imaging technique is discussed in a separate chapter that includes the physics and clinical applications (with cardiovascular examples) of a particular technique. Evolving techniques or research based techniques are discussed as well. This section covers both cardiac and vascular imaging. ​Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is now considered a clinically important imaging modality for patients with a wide variety of cardiovascular diseases. Recent developments in scanner hardware, imaging sequences, and analysis software have led to 3-dimensional, high-resolution imaging of the cardiovascular system. These developments have also influenced a wide variety of cardiovascular imaging applications and it is now routinely used in clinical practice in CMR laboratories around the world. The non-invasiveness and lack of ionizing radiation exposure make CMR uniquely important for patients whose clinical condition requires serial imaging follow-up. This is particularly true for patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) with or without surgical corrections who require lifelong clinical and imaging follow-up.

CMR is a powerful tool in the armamentarium of pediatric cardiology and health care workers caring for patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), but a successful study still presents major technical and clinical challenges. This text was created to give trainees, practitioners, allied professionals, and researchers a repository of dependable information and images to base their use of CMR on. Because CHD presents an intricate web of connections and associations that need to be deciphered, the imager performing CMR needs to understand not only anatomy, physiology, function, and surgery for CHD, but also the technical aspects of imaging. Written by experts from the world’s leading institutions, many of whom pioneered the techniques and strategies described, the text is organized in a logical way to provide a complete understanding of the issues involved. It is divided into three main parts: The Basics of CMR - familiarizes the reader with the minimum tools needed to understand the basics, such as evaluating morphology, ventricular function, and utilizing contrast agents CMR of Congenital and Acquired Pediatric Heart Disease - discusses broad categories of CHD and the use of CMR in specific disease states Special Topics in Pediatric Cardiac MR - covers other important areas such as the complementary role of CT scanning, interventional CMR, the role of the technologist in performing a CMR exam, and more With the ever increasing sophistication of technology, more can be done with CMR in a high quality manner in a shorter period of time than had been imagined as recently as just a few years ago. Principles and Practice of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance in Congenital Heart Disease: Form, Function, and Flow makes a major contribution to applying these techniques to improved patient care. An ideal introduction for the novice or just the curious, this reference will be equally useful to the seasoned practitioner who wants to keep pace with developments in the field and would like a repository of information and images readily availalble.

This text equips radiologists with a firm working knowledge of the physical principles underlying cardiovascular MR image generation. Emphasis is on practical applications of MR physics in customizing and optimizing imaging sequences and protocols and minimizing artifacts. Section I covers basic principles of MR physics and includes a chapter on safety. Section II applies these principles to vascular imaging, including gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography. Section III examines various techniques and applications of cardiac MR imaging. Each chapter includes boxed Key Concepts, Challenging Questions, and Review Questions, and many chapters include sample protocols. More than 400 drawings and scans complement the text.