Three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging of the heart.

Three-dimensional surface images of the human heart may be produced from magnetic resonance imaging. These examinations are used in the evaluation of congenital heart disease for preoperative planning and postoperative evaluation. Computer graphics software has been adapted to produce three-dimensional images of the beating heart from contiguous two-dimensional serial EKG-triggered magnetic resonance image data sets. The natural boundary between flowing blood and cardiac tissue serves to outline cardiac structures. The techniques for producing these images and pitfalls in the operation of the system as well as examples of their application to the study of patients with congenital heart disease are outlined in this article.