Magnetic resonance imaging of aneurysms and thrombi.

This is a report of the first systematic investigation of the qualitative and quantitative diagnosis of aneurysms in the regions of the left ventricle and thoracic and abdominal aorta plus proof of intracavitary thrombi in the heart and the aorta, as well as aneurysms in the superior and inferior vena cava. For diagnosis of the heart, ECG gating is an absolute necessity, but for the analysis of abdominal aortic aneurysms it only leads to a considerable improvement of the spatial resolution. For differential diagnosis of the blood flow and intracavitary clots in the heart and the aorta, use of a second or even multiple echoes is needed. Also, digital subtraction between the first and second echoes (magnetic resonance digital subtraction) can assist in assessing flow. When dissecting aortic aneurysm is suspected and in cases when risk of perforation of ventricular and aortic aneurysms is present. MR offers particular advantages, since it is noninvasive and few scans can provide all the information that is required.