Magnetic resonance imaging of cardiac and pericardial disease.

To date, most application of cardiovascular MRI relate to the evaluation of major vessels rather than the heart itself. However, MRI plays a major role in the evaluation of specific types of cardiovascular pathology, namely intracardiac and paracardiac masses, pericardial disease, and congenital heart disease. Because the visualization of cardiovascular anatomy with MR is non-invasive and permits three-dimensional analysis, it is clear that MRI will have a growing and significant impact over the next years. We will review some of the technical aspects of cardiac MRI and will describe the current and potential clinical and investigative applications of this new methodology.