Cardiac MRI Prescription Planes

Abstract Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a major modality for the evaluation of the heart. However, obtaining the standard imaging planes in an efficient manner can be challenging for the novice MRI technician and/or imaging physician. This resource provides a clear stepwise approach on how to prescribe the common imaging planes for cardiac MRI examinations. The resource is intended for anyone learning how to perform these examinations, including residents, fellows, staff physicians, and MRI technologists. The resource is formatted as an iBook allowing for incorporation of not only static images but also cine clips, which are a critical component of cardiac imaging. This mobile format allows for material reference at the MRI console during an actual examination or for review at times otherwise. Images with simulated prescription planes are provided with corresponding descriptive text to illustrate how the standard MRI planes for a cardiac examination can be obtained. Resultant images or cine sequences are shown to demonstrate the desired output. A PDF version is also provided but obviously does not feature the animations and movie capabilities of the iBook version. Note that this resource is not intended to be a comprehensive review of cardiac MRI techniques, sequence optimization, or postprocessing strategies. Furthermore, a potential limitation of this resource is that the user needs to have a basic understanding of cardiac anatomy.