MR angiography of congenital heart disease in adults. [Review]
Source
Radiographics. 15(4):781-94, 1995 Jul.
Abstract
Magnetic resonance (MR) angiographic techniques are useful in evaluation
of adult patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). The available
techniques include cine, breath-hold ungated, and segmented k-space
time-of-flight MR angiography. Three-dimensional (3D) image reconstruction
with maximum-intensity projection can be used with all of these techniques
to demonstrate great vessel anomalies associated with CHD. Selective
presaturation MR angiography can be used to detect intracardiac shunts. MR
angiography allows clarification of difficult diagnostic points that are
not fully demonstrated with other imaging techniques, such as cardiac
catheterization and angiocardiography, echocardiography, nuclear medicine
studies, and conventional spin-echo MR imaging. In many patients with CHD
in adulthood, the use of appropriate MR angiographic techniques may allow
definitive diagnosis and preclude the need for cardiac catheterization.
The wide field of view, sensitivity to shunts, and rapid 3D imaging
capability of MR angiography make it a valuable method of evaluating CHD
in adults. [References: 24]