[Cardiac MRI today]

Since its beginning, 30 years ago, magnetic resonance imaging of the heart made tremendous progress. Starting from an almost experimental level in the 90 s it has now become a routine tool within cardiac diagnostics. This article presents a selection of present applications of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Besides it superiority in determining mass and volumes of the heart, structural imaging of myocardial tissue has become the domain of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. This implies detection and quantification of scars and fibrosis, inflammatory and infiltrative processes in myocarditis and amyloidosis, and characterization of cardiac tumors. Perfusion imaging allows detection of ischemia, and measurement of blood flow quantifies cardiac shunts and valve disorders. In combination with Positron Emission Tomography, the relationship of molecular/cellular processes and functional, microstructural alterations become visible in myocarditis and amyloidosis. Recent contraindications of cMRI/MRI as cardiac devices MRI have been resolved; however, image quality of the heart is still a challenge.