MR Imaging of Thoracic Veins

The thoracic venous system can be visualized and characterized well with MR imaging. In this article, MR sequences that are suited for this purpose (including the more advanced techniques) are reviewed. The normal thoracic venous anatomy and a brief summary of its embryogenesis is provided. The appearances of congenital and acquired abnormalities of the systemic and pulmonary thoracic veins are described. This article also discusses recent applications of MR imaging in the evaluation of the pulmonary veins and the left atrium in patients who have atrial fibrillation.