Cardiovascular disease: evaluation with MR phase imaging.

Magnetic resonance phase images are derived from conventional spin-echo (SE) pulse sequences and display properties of proton movement that occurs with blood flow. SE magnitude and phase images were obtained and retrospectively evaluated in 21 patients referred for potential cardiovascular abnormalities in which intracardiac or intravascular signal was detected. Abnormalities included intravascular and intracardiac thrombus, aneurysm, aortic dissection, flow alteration, atherosclerotic disease, and congenital cardiac anomaly. Thrombosis (six cases) was successfully differentiated from flow-related signal (15 cases) by comparing phase images with SE magnitude images; in cases of thrombosis, there was no phase shift in corresponding areas of increased signal intensity. In comparison, SE magnitude signal intensities alone were not an accurate indicator in differentiating thrombus from flow-related enhancement. Because phase images are sensitive for identifying flow, the SE magnitude signal of intravascular tumor or thrombus can be differentiated from that of flow effects with more clinical confidence.