Magnetic resonance imaging of congenital heart disease in the pediatric patient.

Current state-of-the-art MR imaging offers a high resolution evaluation of cardiac anatomy in the child with congenital heart disease. Although echocardiography remains the standard initial evaluation modality, MR imaging plays a key role in supplementing this information in the pediatric thorax. Although applications for this modality continue to be defined, some indications have become clear. The future of MR imaging promises better spatial resolution, faster image acquisition times, and in vivo spectroscopic capabilities.