Improved MRI of the neonatal heart: feasibility study using a knee coil.

As a first step towards the development of a neonatal cardiac MRI (CMRI) coil, we investigated the utilization, handling and image quality of a knee coil for CMRI in infants at 3 Tesla. Scout imaging and cine imaging with optimized pulse sequence parameters were performed in two neonates and the resulting images were evaluated for diagnostic purposes. All images were of high diagnostic quality. Complete examinations took less than five minutes. The excellent signal-to-noise ratio provided by this coil allowed all cine studies to be acquired with only three averages. In conclusion, a knee coil can be successfully applied in neonates for CMRI, but the coil design could be improved further to facilitate routine clinical use.