MRI of the heart: promises fulfilled?

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has established itself as an important noninvasive method of evaluating a wide array of cardiovascular diseases. Despite these successes, questions remain about whether cardiac MRI is the best way to evaluate patients with complex cardiac conditions in whom more traditional diagnostic techniques have been inconclusive. We review the most important current applications of MRI in heart failure, ischemic heart disease, and myocardial disease.