Arkansas Children’s Hospital is currently the only facility in Arkansas performing state-of-the-art cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging of the heart and great vessels for children and adults with congenital heart disease. Only a handful of pediatric hospitals in the United States offer the same level of expertise. The patients range from newborns weighing less than one kilogram to adults. Unlike computed tomography and catheter angiography, no ionizing radiation is used. The most common indications for cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging are tetralogy of Fallot, vascular rings, coarctation, and complex congenital heart disease.

Magnetic resonance allows for both exquisite morphologic imaging and functional imaging. The large field of view available by magnetic resonance imaging allows for excellent imaging of the right side of the heart – an area that can be difficult to see using echocardiography. This is especially important for children with congenital heart disease involving the right ventricle such as tetralogy of Fallot. The branch pulmonary arteries and aorta are also better visualized using magnetic resonance imaging.

• MR Techniques
• Multidetector Computed Tomography

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