[Nuclear magnetic resonance. Our preliminary experience on the normal heart and in various cardiopathies].

Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI) is applied in our department to the study of the normal heart and in aortic, pericardial and myocardial pathologies: aortic aneurysms, hypertrophic cardiomyopathies, myocardial infarction, pericarditis and congenital cardiopathies. The apparatus used consists of a resistive magnet which provides a field of 0.15 Tesla. Synchronisation with the electrocardiogram leads to improvement of the cardiac signals. The documents obtained are promising to the extent that information concerning cardiac structure is provided in three planes (frontal, sagittal and horizontal) and is complementary to that provided by echocardiography, isotopic techniques and contrast angiography. The future potential of the method is considerable, particularly in the area of tissue characterisation.