Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of patients with valvular heart disease

Although computed tomographic (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) evaluation of patients with valvular heart disease is almost never performed as a first line of diagnostic intervention, their performance does provide important morphologic and physiologic information concerning the etiology and the current status of the valvular dysfunction. Evaluation of chamber and great artery size as well as ventricular wall thickness provide the basis for diagnosing and analyzing severity of valvular heart disease. Furthermore, additional findings, including calcification and evidence of interstitial pulmonary edema, increase diagnostic sensitivity and confidence in diagnosis. MR examination has the advantage over CT of providing direct demonstration of the signal void jets of dysfunctional valves, as well as a means of quantitating regional and global ventricular function and severity of valvular pressure gradients.