Magnetic resonance imaging guided cardiovascular interventions in congenital heart diseases.

The purpose of this article is to present some recent applications of diagnostic and interventional MRI in congenital heart disease. To date x-ray-based techniques have been the norm for most diagnostic and therapeutic applications. With the advent of ultrafast MRI and the development of MRI-compatible catheters and guide wires, the goal of achieving real-time guidance by MRI for interventions in congenital heart diseases has proven feasible. We briefly review the latest advances in cardiovascular MRI, and the development of MR-compatible devices for diagnostic and therapeutic applications such as ASD closure and pulmonary artery dilation.