Non-contrast MR angiography: physical principles and clinical applications in chest, abdomen and pelvis imaging.

This review article focuses on the advancements in non-contrast magnetic resonance angiography (NC-MRA) and its increasing importance in body imaging, especially for patients with renal complications, pregnant women, and children. It highlights the relevance of NC-MRA in chest, abdominal, and pelvis imaging and details various bright-blood NC-MRA techniques like cardiac-gated 3D Fast Spin Echo (FSE), balanced Steady-State Free Precession (bSSFP), Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL), and 4D flow methods. The article explains the operational principles of these techniques, their clinical applications, and their advantages over traditional contrast-enhanced methods.

Coarctation of Aorta With Tricuspid Aortic Valve Is Not Associated With Ascending Aortic Aneurysm.

Background: Aortic aneurysm is common in patients with coarctation of aorta (COA), but it is unclear whether the risk of aortic aneurysms is due to COA or related to the presence of other risk factors such as bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and hypertension.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship among COA, BAV, and thoracic aortic aneurysms.

Methods: A total of 867 patients with COA (COA group) were matched 1:1:1 to 867 patients with isolated BAV (BAV group) and 867 patients without structural heart disease (SHD) (no-SHD group).

Multimodality Imaging of a Mass Arising from a Cor Triatriatum Sinister Membrane.

Cor triatriatum sinister is a rare entity characterized by a membrane within the left atrium and posterior to the atrial appendage. This defect may cause obstructive symptoms analogous to mitral stenosis. The authors present a case of an incidentally detected enhancing mass originating from a cor triatriatum sinister membrane, with imaging characteristics most suggestive of myxoma.

Anomalous Aortic Origin of a Coronary Artery.

Background: Although anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA) is associated with risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), there is a spectrum of disease, with the appropriate management for many remaining unclear. Increasing data warrant review for an updated perspective on management.

Methods: A panel of congenital cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, and imaging practitioners reviewed the current literature related to AAOCA and its management.

MR Lymphangiography in Lymphatic Disorders: Clinical Applications, Institutional Experience, and Practice Development.

Lymphatic flow and anatomy can be challenging to study, owing to variable lymphatic anatomy in patients with diverse primary or secondary lymphatic pathologic conditions and the fact that lymphatic imaging is rarely performed in healthy individuals. The primary components of the lymphatic system outside the head and neck are the peripheral, retroperitoneal, mesenteric, hepatic, and pulmonary lymphatic systems and the thoracic duct. Multiple techniques have been developed for imaging components of the lymphatic system over the past century, with trade-offs in spatial, temporal, and contrast resolution; invasiveness; exposure to ionizing radiation; and the ability to obtain information on dynamic lymphatic flow.

Diastology with Cardiac MRI: A Practical Guide.

Diastolic filling of the ventricle is a complex interplay of volume and pressure, contingent on active energy-dependent myocardial relaxation and myocardial stiffness. Abnormal diastolic function is the hallmark of the clinical entity of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which is now the dominant type of heart failure and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although echocardiography is the current first-line imaging modality used in evaluation of diastolic function, cardiac MRI (CMR) is emerging as an important technique.

4D Flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance consensus statement: 2023 update.

Hemodynamic assessment is an integral part of the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease. Four-dimensional cardiovascular magnetic resonance flow imaging (4D Flow CMR) allows comprehensive and accurate assessment of flow in a single acquisition. This consensus paper is an update from the 2015 '4D Flow CMR Consensus Statement'.

Non-Contrast Magnetic Resonance Angiography: Techniques, Principles, and Applications.

Several non-contrast magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) techniques have been developed, providing an attractive alternative to contrast-enhanced MRA and a radiation-free alternative to computed tomography (CT) CT angiography. This review describes the physical principles, limitations, and clinical applications of bright-blood (BB) non-contrast MRA techniques. The principles of BB MRA techniques can be broadly divided into (a) flow-independent MRA, (b) blood-inflow-based MRA, (c) cardiac phase dependent, flow-based MRA, (d) velocity sensitive MRA, and (e) arterial spin-labeling MRA.

Cardiac MRI: State of the Art.

Cardiac MRI plays an important role in the evaluation of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, valvular disease, congenital disease, pericardial disease, and masses. Large multicenter trials have shown the positive impact of MRI-based management on outcomes in several CVDs. These results have made MRI an indispensable technique in the evaluation of these diseases, and cardiac MRI has an important role in multisociety guidelines.

Diffuse Myocardial Fibrosis at Cardiac MRI in Young Adults Born Prematurely: A Cross-sectional Cohort Study.

Purpose: To measure native T1 values, a marker of diffuse fibrosis, by using cardiac MRI (CMR) in young adults born prematurely.

Materials And Methods: This secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study included young adults born moderately to extremely preterm and age-matched, term-born participants. CMR was performed with a 3.

Myocardial Strain Evaluation with Cardiovascular MRI: Physics, Principles, and Clinical Applications.

Myocardial strain is a measure of myocardial deformation, which is a more sensitive imaging biomarker of myocardial disease than the commonly used ventricular ejection fraction. Although myocardial strain is commonly evaluated by using speckle-tracking echocardiography, cardiovascular MRI (CMR) is increasingly performed for this purpose. The most common CMR technique is feature tracking (FT), which involves postprocessing of routinely acquired cine MR images.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Dyspnea-Suspected Cardiac Origin (Ischemia Already Excluded): 2021 Update.

Dyspnea is the symptom of perceived breathing discomfort and is commonly encountered in a variety of clinical settings. Cardiac etiologies of dyspnea are an important consideration; among these, valvular heart disease (Variant 1), arrhythmia (Variant 2), and pericardial disease (Variant 3) are reviewed in this document. Imaging plays an important role in the clinical assessment of these suspected abnormalities, with usually appropriate procedures including resting transthoracic echocardiography in all three variants, radiography for Variants 1 and 3, MRI heart function and morphology in Variants 2 and 3, and CT heart function and morphology with intravenous contrast for Variant 3.

MR Angiography Series: Noncardiac Chest MR Angiography.

This review guides readers through the selection and setup of standardized noncardiac chest MRA protocols, including contrast-enhanced MRA (CE-MRA) and noncontrast MRA (NC-MRA), sequences that can be used in a variety of clinical situations. After reviewing basic principles described in the first three tutorials in this series on CE-MRA and NC-MRA, this online presentation details the use of MRA in specific clinical scenarios: thoracic aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection, congenital heart disease, vasculitis, central veins, and pulmonary embolus. Tips and tricks for optimization of the sequences, image acquisition, and image interpretation are provided.

Exercise-induced irregular right heart flow dynamics in adolescents and young adults born preterm.

Background: Preterm birth has been linked to an elevated risk of heart failure and cardiopulmonary disease later in life. With improved neonatal care and survival, most infants born preterm are now reaching adulthood. In this study, we used 4D flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) coupled with an exercise challenge to assess the impact of preterm birth on right heart flow dynamics in otherwise healthy adolescents and young adults who were born preterm.

Decreased ventricular size and mass mediate the reduced exercise capacity in adolescents and adults born premature.

Background: Premature birth is associated with lower levels of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) but the underlying mechanisms responsible remain unclear. This study assessed whether differences in cardiac morphology or function mediate differences in CRF among adolescents and young adults born preterm.

Methods: Adolescents and young adults born moderately to extremely premature (gestational age ≤ 32 weeks or birth weight < 1500 g) and age-matched term born participants underwent resting cardiac MRI and maximal exercise testing.