Resonancia cardiaca en el estudio de las valvulopatías

Noninvasive imaging is extremely important in the assessment of a patient with valvular heart disease. It is essential for visualizing valvular morphology, including valve cusps, rings and the subvalvular apparatus, for assessing disease severity, and for providing data on ventricular dimensions and function, and aortic dimensions. With phasecontrast cardiovascular magnetic resonance, it is possible to measure regurgitant volume and peak flow velocity directly, thereby enabling the pressure gradient across a stenosis to be estimated. In addition, cardiac chambers and flow jets associated with a stenosis or regurgitation can be imaged exceptionally well using cine cardiovascular magnetic resonance. Furthermore, since ventricular dimensions and function can be measured accurately and reproducibly, it is possible to carry out follow-up studies. In this article, the main cardiovascular magnetic resonance techniques used in valve assessment are reviewed, with reference to the advantages and limitations of using cardiovascular magnetic resonance to provide clinically useful information in patients with valvular heart disease.