[Use of cardiac MRI in the field of electrophysiology. Present status and future aspects].

In recent years, ablation therapy has become the first-line treatment of modern electrophysiology in patients with cardiac arrhythmias. Today, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) is an important supportive imaging technique in the implementation of complex electrophysiological investigations and ablation therapy. In clinical routine, cMRI is used not only to generate accurate three-dimensional (3D) models of cavities of the heart but also for visualization of complex anatomical structures. The development of cMRI makes it possible to detect the underlying substrate of complex arrhythmias such as myocardial scar in patients with ventricular tachycardia or the structural remodeling of the left atrium in patients with atrial fibrillation. The opportunity of fusion of the different imaging modalities (e.g., fluoroscopy, cMRI) has become essential for the planning and the implementation of a safe ablation therapy. The possibility of direct visualization of induced lesions using cMRI after and in the long term after ablation can predict the success of therapy and detects potential complications. The continuous research in the field of cMRI and the development of MRI-compatible pacing and ablation catheters provided the basics for performing electrophysiological treatment in humans directly inside the MRI. The implementation of ablation using exact visualization of the anatomical substrate, precise catheter navigation and real-time visualization of lesions in cMRI promises to improve success rates and the safety of complex ablation treatment and may revolutionize electrophysiology in the future.