Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography in congenital heart disease

Contrast-enhanced MR angiography is one of the greatest achievements brought about by advances in body MRI. The noninvasive evaluation of arteries and veins can obviate heart catheterization, the administration of iodinated contrast, and exposure to ionizing radiation in many patients and spare them the risks associated with these factors. These gains are even more important in children with congenital heart disease, who will have to undergo numerous vascular studies in their lifetimes and are more susceptible to the effects of ionizing radiation. Contrast-enhanced MR angiography provides abundant information for diagnosis and postoperative follow-up in these patients, who reach advanced age thanks to advances in medical and surgical treatment and thus receive more and more imaging studies during their lifetimes. In this review, we analyze the contrast enhanced MR angiography technique in these patients, the problems and precautions related to the use of gadolinium, the indications for the test, and the relevant imaging findings in patients with congenital heart disease. (C) 2008 SERAM. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.