Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging MRI is used as both a functional and anatomical cardiac imaging test. It offers excellent soft tissue detail and the ability to quantify cardiac function. MRI scans can be performed with or without gadolinium contrast depending on what information is needed. Unlike computed tomography (CT), MRI does not use X-ray radiation, but patients with metal implants may have contraindications for MRI use because MR will heat up most metal objects. MRI exams usually take much longer than CT scans. How does MRI work? MR creates images by using powerful magnets to polarize hydrogen atoms in water (the body is made of of more than 80% water) so they face in one direction. A radiofrequency pulse is then used to ping these atoms, causing them to wobble, or resonate. The MRI coils detect this and computers can assemble images from the signals. Basic MRI scans will focus on the resonance of fat and water in two different sequences, which highlight and contrast different features in the anatomy.

João Cavalcante, MD, Minneapolis Heart Institute, spoke at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2023 meeting to try and get more radiologists interested in cardiac imaging to help fill the rising need for cardiac imagers on structural heart teams and a growing number of other types of heart and acute care teams.

Filling the crucial role of multimodality imagers on the heart team

João Cavalcante, MD, spoke at RSNA 2023 about key topics and tried to get more radiologists interested in cardiac imaging.

Cardiology now has more than 100 FDA cleared AI algorithms

Cardiology makes up 10% of the 692 market-cleared clinical AI algorithms in the FDA’s latest update on the number of patient-facing AI now commercialized in the U.S. Experts share their thoughts on how it is being used.

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Deep learning in cardiovascular imaging: 4 key takeaways for cardiologists

More and more AI algorithms are being trained to learn, think and act like a human physician. What does this mean for the future of cardiovascular imaging as time goes on?

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Multidisciplinary quality improvement initiative significantly improves on-time starts for cardiac MRI

Such delays can result in longer patient fasts, extended wait times, and poor synchronization of anesthesia induction, researchers detailed in JACR

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AFib recurrence during the 90-day blanking period after ablation—nothing serious or a sign of trouble?

Asking patients to use smartphone-powered ECG devices following catheter ablation procedures could be incredibly beneficial, according to new findings published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology

HCM expert Sherif F. Nagueh, MD, FACC, FASE, professor of cardiology, Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, explains the key points of HCM imaging. #ASE #HCM

How medical imaging helps cardiologists treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy expert Sherif F. Nagueh, MD, examined imaging's role in treating this serious condition. 

Marcelo DiCarli, MD, chief, division of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, executive director for the cardiovascular imaging program, Brigham and Women's Hospital, discusses how artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting cardiac imaging.

What is the ROI for adopting AI in cardiac imaging?

Marcelo DiCarli, MD, and Rob Beanlands, MD, discussed the long-term value of investing in the development and implementation of AI technologies. 

Janet Wei at Cedars-Sinai Hospital explains INOCA and MINOCA at ACC 2023.

Understanding INOCA and MINOCA epidemiology

Janet Wei, MD, associate medical director of the Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, and co-director of the stress echocardiography lab at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, explains the current information on the INOCA and MINOCA.