Cardiac and Paracardiac Masses

The objective of this study was to compare the roles of echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of patients suspected of having cardiac and paracardiac masses. Echocardiography is a widely available and useful technique for characterizing cardiac and paracardiac abnormalities but suffers from a limited field of view and restricted acoustic access to mediastinal structures. MRI is an alternative noninvasive imaging technique for investigation of these abnormalities. Fourteen consecutive patients suspected of having cardiac or paracardiac masses on echocardiography were referred for cardiac MRI. MRI gave more complete visualization in four patients with infiltrating lung tumors and in one patient with intracardiac metastases who had a technically inadequate echo. Echo showed a rapidly moving Chiari network not seen on MRI. Both echo and MRI were helpful in patients with hiatal hernias (2); lipomatous hypertrophy of the interatrial septum (2); left atrial myxoma (1); and calcified mitral annulus (3). We conclude that echocardiography and MRI should be used together to investigate patients with cardiac and paracardiac masses.