Magnetic resonance imaging of cardiac and paracardiac masses.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with ECG-gated acquisition displays the blood pool as a signal void and thereby provides high contrast differentiation between cardiovascular structures and soft-tissue masses. The role of MRI for the detection and definition of the extent of paracardiac and intracardiac masses is reviewed. The extension of mediastinal, lung, and upper abdominal tumors to the heart and pericardium is depicted favorably by MRI and this attribute is also demonstrated. It is anticipated that MRI will have an increasing role in the evaluation of primary and secondary masses of the heart and pericardium.