0000000000808165
AUTHOR
Jan Bogaert
Clinical indications for the use of cardiac MRI. By the SIRM Study Group on Cardiac Imaging
Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is considered an useful method in the evaluation of many cardiac disorders. Based on our experience and available literature, we wrote a document as a guiding tool in the clinical use of CMR. Synthetically we describe different cardiac disorders and express for each one a classification, I to IV, depending on the significance of diagnostic information expected.
Evaluation of Cardiac Volumetric and Functional Parameters
The milestone definition of “Cardiac Function” has to be attributed to William Harvey, the discoverer of the circulation, who in 1628 stated: “The movement of the blood is constantly in a circle, and is brought about by the beat of the heart” [1, 2]. From a modern point of view, the main function of the heart is the delivery of oxygen to metabolizing tissues. Since oxygen delivery is dependent on (1) the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood, (2) the flow output from the heart, and (3) regional distribution of flow, then the heart is nowadays regarded as a pump with the function of supplying flow in blood vessels [2].