Magnetic resonance imaging of the heart: the relevance in diagnosing heart disease

By Cristiano Antonino On Jul 10, 2023

Health of our heart: magnetic resonance imaging is a diagnostic method based on the application of a high-intensity magnetic field directed at the area of interest

For heart disease, magnetic resonance imaging is an essential diagnostic test: it allows us to obtain extremely accurate and highly anatomically detailed images of the function and morphology of the heart muscle, as well as being the only technique that highlights recent or previous structural damage to the heart.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the heart: what does it consist of?

Magnetic resonance imaging of the heart is a diagnostic investigation with a high safety profile, which is neither painful nor dangerous and is performed by applying electrodes to monitor the heartbeat on the patient’s chest, lying supine on a couch.

The patient must hold his or her breath for 10 seconds at the appropriate time, and the specialist may also prescribe intravenous administration of a contrast agent.

The test takes about 30 minutes in total.

The only people who cannot undergo an MRI scan (or who must do so with careful and selective clinical assessment) are patients with pacemakers or magnetically activated devices such as electrodes and neurostimulators.

The test is also not recommended for women in the first trimester of pregnancy.

If, on the other hand, the patient is a wearer of prostheses or metal parts, he or she should inform the specialist treating him or her and the medical staff performing the MRI scan prior to the test, so that they have all the information they need to access the diagnostic test correctly.

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