Abstract
Background: Cardiac function is often impaired in preterm infants undergoing intensive care but poorly understood. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) is the method of choice for assessment of cardiac function in adults, but has not been used previously in the preterm population. CMRI in adults is usally done at 1.5 T, however we hypothesised that in preterm infants it would be possible to take advantage of higher field strengths.
Aims: To assess the feasibility of undertaking CMRI in preterm infants and to develop novel approaches to acquire images at 3.0 T.
Methods: Five preterm babies underwent cardiac MRI. Gestational age was median 33 weeks [range 30 - 35 weeks]. Median birthweight was 1860g [1480 - 2750g]. The median corrected gestational age at time of MRI was 35 weeks [33 - 37 weeks]. Each scan took approximately 45 minutes. Babies were monitored throughout the scan by a trained neonatologist.
Results: Imaging was successful in 3/5 infants, and these images were sufficient to allow detailed assessment of cardiac function. 2 dimensional real time CMRI movies provide precise visualisation of cardiac function.
Conclusion: This preliminary study demonstrates that CMRI can provide detailed assessment of cardiac function in preterm infants, and this can be achieved at 3.0 T.
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Foran, A., Fitzpatrick, J., Schmitz, S. et al. 126 Cardiac Mri At 3.0 Tesla in Preterm Infants. Pediatr Res 58, 376 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200508000-00155
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200508000-00155