Cardiac Mass MRI Protocol

• TrueFISP Axial
• DB Haste Coronal
• Axial T1 DIR (black blood-only through the mass,gating preferred)
• GRE or TrueFISP cine(short and long axis)
• 3D VIBE Axial

Post contrast timing run  for "Cardiac Mass MRI Protocol"

• 3D VIBE Ax 3 measures (0,35,120 seconds)- Coronal 3d MRA also useful

Technical notes for "Cardiac Mass MRI Protocol"

• I saw some of my friends used to do Sagital IR (turbo/double-black blood) and post contrast aorta angiogram also.
• Cardiac MRI provides optimal assessment of the location, functional characteristics, and soft-tissue features of cardiac tumors, allowing accurate differentiation of benign and malignant lesions.
• Cine MR allows dynamic assessment of cardiac masses as well as their effect on valvular function. MR can demonstrate key indicators of malignancy including invasive behavior, involvement of the right side of the heart or the pericardium, tissue inhomogeneity, diameter greater than 5 cm, and higher tissue vascularity. CMR also visualizes characteristics which distinguish cardiac masses from intracardiac thrombus, normal anatomic variants, and normal myocardium.
• End expiration breath hold is the most reproducible technique.  This is important because you will be making volume measurements off of the images. However, this is the most difficult for the patinet.  I find I get the best results with multiple short end expiratory breath holds.  I try to keep the breath hold time to less than 8 seconds.

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