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Cardiovascular MRI

Cardiovascular MRI
Upstate University Hospital
750 East Adams Street
Syracuse, NY 13210
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Phone: 315 464-5189

Cardiovascular MRI is becoming the gold standard for myocardial viability, and the cardiac imaging laboratory at Upstate University Hospital is the only place in Central New York that offers such a specialized program.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers new levels of excellence in the diagnosis and management of cardiac care. This minimally invasive procedure, does not involve radiation, and delivers unparalleled image quality. The test is valuable for diagnosis of cardiac masses, congenital cardiac and vascular abnormalities and for evaluation of ventricular and valvular function and ventricular tachycardia substrates. It can also provide an accurate characterization of the aorta and pulmonary veins.

Cardiac MRI can aid in the treatment of your patients with the following indications:

Coronary Artery Disease
  • Define myocardial scarring and viability
  • Prediction of functional recovery by identification of hibernating myocardium
  • Accurate assessment of left ventricular volume, mass and function
  • Detailed Ventricular Wall Motion Assessment
  • Myocardial perfusion imaging with adenosine stress testing
Cardiac Masses and Thrombi
  • Characterization of cardiac masses
  • Characterization of Pericardial Masses
  • Differentiation of tumor from thrombus in the Atrium, Ventricle or Pericardium
Pericardial Diseases
  • Detection of pericardial thickening
  • Diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis
  • Identification of active pericardial inflammation
  • Demonstration of right heart filling characteristics
  • Evaluation of Pericardial Masses, Cysts
Cardiomyopathy/Heart Failure
  • Differentiate between ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy in patients presenting with heart failure
  • Determining causes of cardiomyopathy - Myocarditis, Amyloidosis, Sarcoidosis, Hemochromatosis, Hypereosinophilic syndrome
  • Prognostic Risk Stratification in Patients with Cardiomyopathy/Heart Failure
  • Risk stratification in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy by defining the extent of hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis, in addition to quantification of sub-aortic gradient
Adult Congenital Heart Disease
  • Characterization of all cardiovascular anomalies including abnormal connections outside the heart
  • Interatrial septal defect detection and characterization
  • Shunt quantification
  • Detection of anomalies, including coronary anatomy anomalies, patent ductus, aortic coarctation
  • Post congenital repair assessment of conduits and anatomy
Arrhythmia/Syncope/Post-Cardiac Arrest
  • Detection ofleft ventricular scar and fibrosis for LV origin ventricular arrhythmias
  • 3-D imaging of the left atrium and pulmonary veins prior to atrial fibrillation ablation
  • Right ventricular imaging for detection of ARVD
Aortic Diseases
  • Aortogram for accurate assessment of aortic dilation and aneurysms
  • Monitoring of chronic aortic dissection
  • Aortic valve disease - Infra Valvular, Valvular or Supra Valvular obstructions
Abnormal Echocardiogram (TTE or TEE) Findings
  • Any cardiac or vascular finding which can not be defined by Echocardiogram (TTE/TEE) for technical reasons or otherwise can be fully examined with cardiovascular MRI
Additional Information
  • We can not scan patients with pacemakers, defibrillators or other implanted electronic devices
  • Cardiovascular MRI is safe with joint replacements, coronary stents, ASD/PFO closure devices, sternal wires, most prosthetic heart valves. Patients with a metallic implants/shrapnel/prior neurosurgical clip placement are all individually evaluated prior to MRI.
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