Is an MRI of the heart useful in coronary artery disease?
An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is a sectional image procedure that allows the organs to be assessed in their three-dimensional arrangement. It is not of overriding importance for the diagnosis of coronary heart disease (CHD).This is mainly due to the fact that if a suspicion of CHD is raised by an MRI, a cardiac catheter must still be performed to definitively prove the disease. People for whom the catheter is considered a potentially critical intervention are nevertheless often given an MRI beforehand. In this way, a CHD can be ruled out or the urgent need for a cardiac catheter can be demonstrated.
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