All issues > Volume 36(10); 1993

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1993;36(10):1343-1350. Published online October 15, 1993.

Comparative Value of Cardiac MRI and Echocardiography in the Assessment of Congenital Heart Lesions

Young-Hwue YH Kim¹, #NAME? # Park¹, Chang-Yee CY Hong¹, Shi-Joon SJ Yoo², Tae-Hwan TH Lim²

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Ulsan University, Asan Medical Center, Seoul,Korea
²Department of Diagnostic Radilolgy, College of Medicine, Ulsan University, Asan Medical Center, Seoul,Korea

Abstract

To examine the usefulness of cardiac MRI in assessing patients (pt) with congenital heart diseases (CHD), informations obtained from MRI and echocardiogrphy (echo) were compared in 91 consecutive pt with CHD and was correlated with findings at cardiac catheterization(53pt) and at surgery (71pt). Pt were studied with 1.5Tesla MRI unit and multiplanar images of the heart and great vessels were obtained using ECG-gated multislice spin-echo technique. Age ranged from newborn to 22 years. We obtained the follwoing results. MRI was very useful in providing important diagnostic informations in 19pt, provided informations which was not crucial to the clinical decision in 28pt, and did not provide additional informations in 44pt. MRI was very useful in assessing complex lesions, particularly in identifying atrial situs, rudimentary ventricular chamber, criss-cross atrioventricular connection, total anomalous pulmonary venous connection, anatomy of ventricular septal defect in double outlet right ventricle, anomalous ventricular muscles, aortomy of ventricular septal defect in double outlet right ventricle, anomalous ventricular muscles, aortopulmonary collateral artery and distal pulmonary artery anatomy. En face view of the ventricular septum was very useful in clearly outlining the ventricular septal defect. MRI gave false information in 17pt. Diagnostic accuracy of MRI was poor for coarctation of the aorta in neonates and small infants, patent ductus arteriosus and pulmonary stenosis. Cardiac MRI is recommended for preoperative planning in selected pt with CHD, particularly with complex lesions.

Keywords :Cardiac MRI, Echocardiography, Congenital heart Lesions