Pulmonary hypertension MRI
Pulmonary Hypertension Microchapters |
Diagnosis |
---|
Treatment |
Case Studies |
Pulmonary hypertension MRI On the Web |
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Pulmonary hypertension MRI |
Risk calculators and risk factors for Pulmonary hypertension MRI |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1], Richard Channick, M.D.; Assistant Editor(s)-in-Chief: Ralph Matar
Cardiac MR
Due to the important prognostic indicators of the function of the right ventricle in patients with PAH. Cardiac MR is performed in some patients to:
1-Accurately evaluate the size, morphology and function of the right ventricle. MRI has similar abilities to those of echocardiography in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with pulmonary hypertension.
2-Detect shunts contributing to pulmonary hypertension.
3-Detect acute and chronic pulmonary thromboembolic disease.
4-Distinguish between the pulmonary vasculature and mediastinal adenopathy when used with contrast enhancement.
5-Also used for follow-up of right heart hemodynamics for follow-up purposes.
Poor right ventricular function is indicated by the following according to the ACCF/AHA 2009 Expert consensus document on pulmonary hypertension:
- Stroke volume ≤25ml/m^2.
- Right ventricular end-diastolic volume ≥84ml/m^2( Most appropriate marker of right ventricular failure in the follow-up.)
- Left ventricvular end-diastolic volume ≤40ml/m^2
- MRI has similar abilities to those of echocardiography in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with pulmonary hypertension.
- Pulmonary artery stiffness measured by relative cross sectional area change ≤16% also has implications on mortality rate.
MRI Limitations include:
1- Inability to perform breath hold.
2-Claustrophobia.
3- Incompatible hardware such as neurostimulators, cochlear implants, aneurysm clips, cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators.
4- Limited availability and cost.
5- Difficulty in assessing PA pressures.
Cardiac MR images[1]:
1-Short axis slices showing right ventricular volumes, mass and ejection fraction.
2-Short axis views of the ventricles showing a dilated and hypertrophied right ventricle.
References
- ↑ Advances in pulmonary hypertension,official journal of pulmonary hypertension journal, Winter 08-09 Vol 7, No 4