Cardiovascularmri.com is a website dedicated to the education and sharing of knowledge in this new, exciting, and growing field of Cardiovascular MRI (CMR). This website is maintained by Dr. Szilard Voros, Medical Director Cardiovascular MRI/CT, at The Piedmont Heart Institute in Atlanta, Georgia. If you are interested in contributing your own expertise, insights, and/or interesting case studies please contact us at: szilard.voros[@]piedmont.org

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is a relatively new field in cardiovascular imaging. Capitalizing on the behavior of protons in a strong magnetic field, magnetic resonance imaging can create high-resolution, detailed images and movies of the body, without the use of any radiation. CMR has the potential to revolutionize cardiovascular imaging, by offering a variety of imaging approaches to evaluate the heart muscle (myocardium), heart valves, blood vessels and the structures surrounding the heart. It is now considered to be the “gold standard” for the precise quantification of both left and right ventricular size and function. CMR can detect scar tissue due to old heart attacks (“myocardial infarction”), poor blood flow to the heart muscle due to blockages in the coronary arteries (“ischemia”), inflammation of the heart muscle (“myocarditis”) and different intrinsic diseases (“cardiomyopathies”). In addition, CMR is very robust in measuring and quantifying blood flow both in the right and the left sided chambers.

Due to the complexities of image acquisition and interpretation, certain medical centers and facilities and a handful of physicians specialize in CMR imaging. Often CMR is performed in patients who already have undergone more traditional evaluation with the use of ultrasonography and radioisotope-based diagnostic procedures, even invasive coronary X-ray angiography. In as little as 30-45 minutes, CMR can provide answers and diagnoses in cases that have remained elusive after standard cardiology evaluation.

This website is designed for patients and health-care providers to supply further information on the use and utility of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging.

This website is maintained by the Piedmont Heart Institute in Atlanta, GA, which brings together approximately 70 practicing cardiologists in Atlanta and features a state-of-the-art non-invasive and invasive diagnostic and therapeutic center, including CMR imaging.

The non-invasive imaging center is directed by Szilard Voros, M.D., F.A.C.C, who serves as Chief Academic Officer and as Medical Director of Cardiovascular MR and CT for Piedmont Heart Institute. Dr. Voros obtained his medical degree at the University Medical School of Pecs in Pecs, Hungary, completed his residency training and served as Chief Medical Resident at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He completed his cardiovascular fellowship training and served as Chief Cardiovascular Fellow at the University of Virginia. He is currently responsible for running both the clinical operations as well as the research operations of the non-invasive imaging center at the Piedmont Heart Institute.