Prevalence and clinical relevance of extracardiac findings at cardiac MRI.

PURPOSE: To assess the incidence of extracardiac findings in patients undergoing clinical cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) of the heart, and to determine the influence of those findings on patient management.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: During 40 months, 854 CMRI were performed at 1.5 T. Extracardiac findings were classified as significant (group A), if recommended for additional diagnostics or therapeutic interventions, and as nonsignificant (group B).
RESULTS: The most frequent indication for CMRI was evaluation of cardiac stress ischemia. In all, 631 CMRI (74% of 854) showed no extracardiac pathologies. In the remaining 223 CMRI (26% of 854), a total of 286 extracardiac findings were detected. Among these findings, 49 were considered significant (group A) and 237 nonsignificant (group B). In group A, the most common findings were suspicious pulmonary nodules or masses. In group B, the most frequent findings were hepatic cysts or hemangiomas. Eight malignancies were observed with certainty at CMRI. Seven of them had been incidentally diagnosed on CMRI for the first time, and subsequently changed the patients' management.
CONCLUSION: Extracardiac findings in clinically indicated CMRI are common (about 26%). Radiologists and cardiologists should be aware of relevant extracardiac findings that might require additional diagnostics or treatment.