Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the heart, measuring its anatomy, motion, blood flow, and tissue characteristics without ionizing radiation.

Electrocardiographic gating: A technique that synchronizes image acquisition with the electrical cycle of the heart. It reduces motion artifacts by timing measurements to specific phases of the heartbeat.
Left ventricular ejection fraction: The proportion of end-diastolic left ventricular blood volume expelled during systolic contraction. CMR measures ventricular volumes accurately, allowing ejection fraction calculation.
Magnetic resonance imaging: An imaging method that uses magnetic fields, radiofrequency pulses, and signal processing to form internal images. Cardiac MRI applies general MRI principles to a continuously moving organ.
Echocardiography: An imaging method that uses ultrasound waves to examine cardiac structure, motion, and blood flow. It is widely available and dynamic, while CMR offers broader tissue characterization and often more precise volumes.
Cine MRI: A rapid MRI technique that produces image sequences showing moving anatomy over time. Cine sequences show ventricular contraction and support measurements of cardiac volumes and function.
Myocarditis: Inflammation of the heart muscle, most often caused by infection or immune-mediated injury. Tissue-sensitive CMR findings can support diagnosis and characterize myocardial injury.
Cardiac cycle: The sequence of electrical and mechanical events that repeats with each heartbeat. Acquisition must account for changing chamber shape and motion across each cycle.
Cardiac computed tomography: X-ray computed tomography optimized to image the heart and coronary arteries. CT excels at coronary anatomy and calcification, whereas CMR avoids ionizing radiation and characterizes tissue.
Late gadolinium enhancement: An MRI technique in which delayed gadolinium contrast highlights regions with expanded extracellular space. Its enhancement patterns can reveal myocardial scar or injury.
Cardiac amyloidosis: A disorder in which misfolded proteins accumulate in the heart and impair its structure and function. CMR can show characteristic enhancement and mapping abnormalities in infiltrated myocardium.

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