Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Pericardial Disease and Intracardiac Thrombus

Magnetic resonance is known to be a superior modality for the evaluation of pericardial disease and intracardiac masses because of its unmatched capacity for tissue characterization and high spatial resolution. New real-time sequences complement the standard morphologic imaging of the pericardium with dynamic image acquisitions that also can provide hemodynamic information indicative of constriction. Magnetic resonance also is becoming increasingly recognized as a superior modality for the detection and characterization of intracardiac thrombus. This article reviews the use of magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation of pericardial disease and the detection of intracardiac thrombus, with particular emphasis on the newer pulse sequences currently available for cardiac imaging.