Cardiovascular MRI: what cardiologists need to know.

During the past decade, cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging has firmly established itself as an important non-invasive imaging technique for comprehensive evaluation of cardiovascular diseases. Gradually, this technique has become the 'gold standard' for the assessment of numerous cardiovascular conditions. Among the important clinical indications assessed by this technique are heart failure, ischemic heart disease, cardiac masses, congenital heart disease, and diseases of the myocardium, pericardium, valves and the entire vascular tree. Continued research and further progress in magnetic resonance imaging technology herald an exciting growth of clinical applications, including coronary imaging and interventional magnetic resonance imaging.