Evaluation of the Pericardium with CT and MR

Table 1

MR techniques commonly used to evaluate the pericardium.

MR technique	Clinical utility for pericardium
Steady-state free precession (SSFP).	Wall motion, especially septum; effusion.
Double inversion recovery fast spin echo (DIR FSE).	Pericardial thickness; effusion.
T1-weighted gradient echo myocardial tagged cine.	Presence or absence of epicardial-pericardial slippage.
Real-time cine GRE in short axis during dynamic breathing.	Assess for ventricular interdependence.
Optional: T2 FSE, T1/T2 fat saturation; postcontrast imaging.	Used when tissue characterization is important, for example, neoplasm.