ABSTRACT
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as an increasingly useful diagnostic technique that does not involve the use of ionizing radiation, for the evaluation of patients with diverse presentations of coronary artery disease. It enables a multifaceted approach to the complexity of heart disease by exploiting an array of imaging techniques. In the acute setting of acute myocardial infarction MRI enables precise characterization of ischemic injury by differentiating reversible from irreversible damage and accurately characterizes microvascular injury. In the chronic setting, detection of ischemia and viability assessment by cardiac MRI can play a pivotal role in risk stratifi cation. In this chapter we provide an overview of the technique, its strengths and limitations, and its role in the various presentations of coronary disease.
