Congenital cardiac defects and MR-guided planning of surgery.

In neonates and infants with congenital heart disease (CHD), cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is an established imaging modality in all patients in whom echocardiography does not provide sufficient information and definitive diagnosis. CMR is noninvasive, and does not involve vascular catheterization or ionizing radiation. Therefore the use of CMR obviates the potential risks of cardiac catheterization in critically ill infants. This article discusses the use of CMR in newborns with CHD before cardiac surgery, focusing on conotruncal anomalies, pulmonary venous anomalies, complex CHD in visceroatrial heterotaxy, borderline hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and the use of contrast medium in newborns.