High field strength magnetic resonance imaging of cardiovascular diseases

Given the continuous advances in the hardware and software of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cardiac MRI has come to be a routine imaging modality in clinical settings for evaluating both cardiac function and anatomy in various cardiovascular diseases. Recently, 3 tesla (T) MRI has become available and has demonstrated advantages over 1.5T in a broad range of clinical applications although some technical challenges still remain. This review will focus on the potential advantages and limitations of 3T cardiac MRI and its current clinical applications.