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CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Volume 28, No 6, November/December 2017
AFRICA
e3
suspected on 2D TEE, was excluded with certainty.
Cardiac MRI is able to accurately quantify the severity
of regurgitant lesions, which may not always be possible by
echocardiography alone. For example, an eccentric AR jet,
as in our patient, is more accurately assessed on cardiac
MRI using volumetric analysis, as opposed to less-validated
echocardiographic quantification, such as the proximal
isovelocity surface-area method.
8
Two-dimensional TEE offers higher temporal resolution
compared to cardiac MRI but its use is limited by angle
dependence, image quality and acquisition. Cardiac MRI does
not have these limitations and is able to provide improved spatial
resolution.
9
It also has a greater range of imaging techniques,
therefore offering more anatomical and functional information.
This enables enhanced clinical assessment and management.
Three-dimensional echocardiography has been used for the
detection and assessment of anatomical defects in the context
of congenital heart disease.
10
It has been used to image a SA
aneurysm complicating infective endocarditis.
11
3D TEE allowed
us to define the anatomy of the SA aneurysm at the bedside but
was limited by suboptimal views. The shortcomings are that it
is angle dependent, the spatial and temporal resolution is still
suboptimal and it is highly reliant on 2D image quality. MRI
therefore proved to be an indispensable tool in this patient.
Conclusion
Cardiac MRI is a useful adjunctive tool to echocardiography in
the comprehensive assessment of SA aneurysms.
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