Clinical Case of the Month: Atrial Septal Defect (ASD)
ASD is a congenital heart defect that is ideally suited for evaluation using cardiac MRI. Cardiac MRI allows accurate assessment of heart structure, function, and blood flow. In addition, cardiac MRI is an ideal method of evaluation because it does not use radiation and is non-invasive.
Cardiac Magnetic Resonance imaging can be challenging due to the constant motion of a beating heart and respiration. To successfully image the heart using MR it is essential to acquire images rapidly with optimal resolution and contrast.
Toshiba uses a 16 element Atlas SPEEDER body array coil coupled with the 32 element Atlas SPEEDER spine array coil to produce the signal required for successful evaluation of the heart. Vantage MRI systems have a complete cardiac software package available which includes specialized sequences for speed and image quality as well as the post processing software for cardiac analysis.
Case Study: MRI of the heart to evaluate cause for shortness of breath and heart murmur.
Technology: Toshiba Vantage Atlas MRI system using body array and spine array coils. The heart is imaged using SSFP cine sequences in varying planes.
2D cine sequences clearly depict the atrial septal defect allowing blood to flow between the right and left atrium. High blood-flow between the atria leads to volume overload and can lead to right heart failure. In this patient the right ventricle is enlarged consistent with a large ASD. This contributes to the patient’s shortness of breath and can progress to heart failure if not treated.
By using Toshiba’s cardiac MR system and specialized sequences no contrast or radiation was necessary in making this diagnosis.
Four-chamber (left) and short axis (right) cine views of the heart demonstrating atrial septal defect (ASD). (Cines and images courtesy of Dr. T. Albert, MD, FACC, Cardiovascular Diagnostic Center, Monterey, CA.)
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Category: Medical Imaging —