Medical College of Wisconsin Cardiac MRI

This study uses a variety of MRI techniques to evaluate cardiac chamber sizes, function, and exclude significant valve disease. It can provide most of the same information as a complete echo and is particularly advantageous over echo when poor ultrasound images are anticipated (obese, severe COPD), differentiating masses or diseases that infiltrate heart muscle (tissue characterization), or when serial studies with a high degree of accuracy and reproducibility are needed (chemotherapy).

Ability to characterize abnormal myocardial tissue or masses. Preferred over echo when interested in cardiac effects of systemic disease such as sarcoidosis, amyloidosis, systemic sclerosis. May assist in diagnosis of myocarditis, Fabry disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and ARVD.

A very sensitive test to detect evidence of previous infarct or myocardial damage as a result of some systemic diseases. May request viability study by itself or will automatically be included with all stress test requests.

Identifies obstructive CAD with sensitivity and specificity; it is as good or better than echo or nuclear imaging. Viability study automatically included with all requests. Patient does not need to be NPO but should have no caffeine for 24 hours prior to test.

Learn what to expect before, during and after your MRI

Angiography of the thoracic aorta for size and coronary anatomy (but not CAD), especially when associated with abnormal aortic valve. Useful for diagnosis and surveillance of thoracic aortic aneurysm in a way that avoids ionizing radiation.

The Medical College of Wisconsin also offers specialized protocols for performing MRI scans on patients with both MRI-compatible as well as the older, non-MRI compatible ICDs and pacemakers.

Call (414) 777-1690 to order or schedule an MRI scan. This may be done under the MagnaSafe trial: Determining the Risks of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Presence of Pacemakers and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators; NCT00907361.

Cardiac MRI is very useful in the diagnosis and evaluation of suspected hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It can often give a better view of overall wall thickness (especially apically) than is possible by other imaging modalities. It will also give amount of fibrosis (by delayed enhancement) which is an important piece of prognostic information in HCM.

Cardiac MRI can be helpful to determine etiology of cardiomyopathy. It can often distinguish between ischemic, hemochromatosis, amyloid and sarcoid.

Cardiac MRI is critical in establishing the diagnosis of ARVD. MCW physicians have been able to optimize the false positive/negative rate due to high volume experience.

Cardiac MRI is critical in establishing the etiology of cardiac masses and is the gold standard for evaluation of intracardiac thrombus.