[Left ventricular function and intra-cardiac blood flow: study using dynamic magnetic resonance tomography].

Cardiac function can be assessed using conventional spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging. However, long imaging times and poor temporal resolution have limited the clinical applicability of this technique. A new dynamic magnetic resonance pulse sequence avoids these shortcomings using lower flip angles, shorter repetition and echo times and gradient refocused echoes. The entire heart can thus be imaged with a temporal resolution of 60 ms within 20 min. Display of 15 images of the cardiac cycle in a movie loop allows excellent visual assessment of cardiac motion and intracardiac blood flow. Applications of this new technique include blood flow measurements, visualization of regurgitant or shunt blood flow in patients with valvular regurgitation or ventricular septal defect, assessment of regional wall thickening in patients with myocardial disease, and three-dimensional determination of ventricular and atrial volumes.