Magnetic Resonance Imaging for the Interventional Cardiologist

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has evolved over the last few years into a valuable tool for the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases. Late gadolinium-enhanced MRI and stress myocardial perfusion MRI have been shown to be useful in detecting infarct tissue and in predicting myocardial viability and patient prognosis. The strengths of MRI lie in its ability to comprehensively image cardiac anatomy, function, perfusion, viability and physiology in ‘one-stop testing’ and to provide high-quality diagnostic information without the need for radiation. This article summarises the current clinical applications of MRI in interventional cardiology.