Kardiovaskuläre Magnetresonanztomographie (Teil 1): Technik, Indikationen, Vorbereitung und Durchführung [Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (Part 1): Technique, indications, preparation and performance]

Cardiovascular imaging is an essential component of modern cardiology. Its information is important for diagnosing cardiovascular diseases, for treatment decisions and therapy management, and for assessing individual prognosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a growing role in this field. It provides information on cardiac anatomy, function, perfusion, viability, inflammation and blood flow. Frequent indications for cardiovascular MRI include the assessment of coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, inflammatory heart disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and congenital heart defects. This two-part article provides a practical overview.