Magnetic resonance imaging of rerouted pulmonary blood flow.

Correction of structural defects of the heart associated with cyanotic heart disease often requires rerouting of systemic venous return into the pulmonary arteries and pulmonary venous return into the ventricles. Preliminary experience suggests that magnetic resonance imaging, through its superior depiction of the resultant complex anatomy, provides important supplemental information to echocardiography. Together, these noninvasive techniques may lessen the present need for repeat catheterization in children with surgically corrected cyanotic heart disease.