Why cardiac magnetic resonance imaging will not make it.

摘要

Coronary artery disease is currently the largest killer in the western world, and is estimated to become the leading cause of death worldwide by the year 2020. The question therefore is whether magnetic resonance imaging currently has a place in the already extremely well equipped armamentarium of cardiac testing. Although it is promising, its clinical use is somewhat limited by high cost and low availability of equipment and trained personnel. The absence of portable systems for cardiac application make cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in the emergency room, at the patient's bedside or in the doctor's office impossible. The comparison of the cardiac magnetic resonance imaging with proven and cost-effective techniques like echocardiography and nuclear imaging will be decisive in terms of the choice of imaging modalities in cardiology.