From zeugmatography to cardiac magnetic resonance

Abstract

Increase of the prevalence of cardiac diseases worldwide requires accurate and comprehensive methods of disease detection at their early stage. One of the most promising tools already in clinical use is cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). After elimination of problems with good quality imaging of a contracting structure such as the heart which took place around 20 years ago this method has continued to reshape the landscape of non-invasive cardiac imaging. The main advantages of CMR include possibility to characterize cardiac tissues and disease processes, lack of ionizing radiation, visualization in any spatial plane and good repeatability of study assessment. The relatively high costs of the study and problems with reimbursement can be balanced by many earlier diagnoses and therefore elimination of unnecessary additional examinations or invasive procedures. Research in the filed of CMR shows ambitious perspectives such as an ability to fully guide invasive procedures or to track delivery of drugs or stem-cells.