Why is it done?
Magnetic resonance imaging can be useful in the assessment patients with possible or definite ischemic heart disease. Since MRI provides a dimensionally accurate, three-dimensional perspective of the heart, it has been considered by many to be the gold standard for measurements of left and right ventricular ejection fraction, volumes, and myocardial mass. It can also detect regional wall motion abnormalities and high-energy phosphate abnormalities in ischemic tissue.

In addition, is chemic territories can be identified by using intravenous medication. One can detect deposition of atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries and 'flow-imaging' of the coronaries by doing coronary MR. MR ventriculography is done to accurately measure the performance and wall motion of various chambers of heart while endocardial margin is accurately visualized by this technique in various phases of contraction. MR perfusion is done to measure blood flow to heart muscle and to map infracted segment.It is also done for evaluation of aortic and peripheral vascular disease, valvular lesions, cardiomyopathy and pericardial disease.