Abstract
Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) has been shown to be an important
alternative to echocardiography and catheterization for diagnostic imaging in older
patients with congenital heart disease. However, little information is available on
its clinical role, accuracy, and technical aspects in infants. We retrospectively
identified all patients <1 year of age who underwent a CMRI examination at our institution
over a 4-year period (from 1999 to 2002) and reviewed their medical records. Ninety-nine
CMRI examinations were performed in 91 patients (median weight 4.9 kg; range 1.2 to
16.3) at a median age of 102 days (range 1 to 358). Technical modifications were used
to improve signal-to-noise ratio and temporal resolution, and specialized personnel
and equipment were employed. All CMRI studies were performed under general anesthesia
without any complications, and all outpatients (n = 44) were discharged the same day.
The primary referral questions for CMRI were delineation of the thoracic vasculature
(n = 54), assessment of possible airway compression (n = 25), evaluation of cardiac
tumor (n = 6), and other (n = 14). For the thoracic vasculature group, findings at
surgery (n = 37) and catheterization (n = 16) were concordant with the CMRI diagnoses.
In the airway compression group, findings at surgery (n = 16) were also in agreement
with CMRI findings. Tumor types by CMRI in the 3 patients with preoperative studies
were confirmed by histologic results. Thus, CMRI has a limited but important diagnostic
role in infants with cardiovascular disease. It is an accurate and safe method to
delineate the thoracic vasculature, evaluate possible airway compression, and characterize
cardiac tumors. CMRI may obviate cardiac catheterization and bronchoscopy in selected
cases.
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
March 12,
2004
Received in revised form:
March 12,
2004
Received:
December 29,
2003
Footnotes
☆This study was supported in part by grants from the Ripple Foundation and the CIBC Miracle Day Network, Massachusetts.
Identification
Copyright
© 2004 Excerpta Medica Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
