Magnetic resonance imaging for pulmonary hypertension: methods, applications, and outcomes

Abstract

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a potentially life-threatening disease. Clinical classification of PH has undergone multiple modifications and was last updated in 2008. Initial detection and classification rely on a combination of invasive and noninvasive tests, among which the most important are echocardiography, right-sided heart catheterization, and computed tomography. Treatment response assessment and monitoring are focused on the functional evaluation of the right ventricle, and magnetic resonance imaging is the noninvasive test of choice as its accuracy and reproducibility are superior to echocardiography. In this article, we discuss our PH evaluation magnetic resonance imaging protocol, which has been customized to provide clinicians with the information needed to assess right-sided heart functional status and determine response to treatment or disease progression.