Magnetic resonance imaging vs. ultrafast computed tomography for cardiac diagnosis.

Ultrafast computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) generate high resolution tomographic cardiac images. Ultrafast CT requires intravenous injection of x-ray contrast combined with an image acquisition time of 50 msec. MRI requires no contrast injection, but has relatively long acquisition times due to gating. Both technologies can be used to evaluate cardiac chamber and great vessel dimensions, intracardiac and extracardiac masses, ventricular hypertrophy, left ventricular mass, congenital heart disease, regional and global left ventricular function, right ventricular function and pericardium. MRI is highly useful for detection and semi-quantitation of valvular regurgitation while ultrafast CT is not. Aortic and mitral valve stenosis can be detected by both, but MRI is the preferred study. Though both techniques can be used to assess coronary artery bypass graft status, ultrafast CT is the preferred method. It is concluded that ultrafast CT and MRI have broad applications for cardiac diagnosis.