Lung MRI: The future is now.

Tomographic imaging via MRI can capture structural abnormalities at high resolution and reveal functional abnormalities if acquired during respiration. In infants and children with chronic lung diseases, MRI can serve as a safe and effective tool to characterize cardiorespiratory disease where PFTs are not feasible. Functional lung imaging via hyperpolarized Xe MRI has been shown to have very high sensitivity to regional airway obstruction, changes in alveolar-airspace size/structure, and gas-exchange due to abnormalities in the interstitium or blood-flow; the technique is routinely used in ages 5 and up. This summary outlines each of the functional measures currently available using Xe MRI.