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While
magnetic resonance imaging has been used clinically for almost two decades,
the use of MRI for the routine diagnosis of heart disease remains relatively
uncommon. The reason for this relates largely to heart motion and the
historically long duration of an MRI scan. While most body organs do
not move and therefore can be imaged "slowly", images of the
heart must be acquired at a rate which is "fast" relative
to the cardiac cycle. Recent advances in MRI technology have reduced
scan times to a few seconds which, combined with synchronization of
the scanner hardware to the patient's ECG, allow high-quality magnetic
resonance images of the heart to be acquired. The challenge now is to
determine the clinical situations in which cardiovascular MRI provides
diagnostic information beyond that available with existing diagnostic
techniques. Through its patient care, research, and education programs
the DCMRC is dedicated to this mission. |
