Role of Cardiac MRI and CT in Pericarditis and Pericardial Constriction

Pericardial diseases span a spectrum from acute and recurrent pericarditis to chronic constrictive pericarditis. While echocardiography remains the first-line test in the evaluation of patients with suspected pericardial disease, advanced cardiac imaging with cardiac magnetic resonance and computed tomography have become complementary and often essential in refining diagnosis and guiding management in many patients. The recent Concise Clinical Guidance Statement from the American College of Cardiology as well as updated European Society of Cardiology guidelines have given new emphasis and recommendations on the use of advanced imaging in both pericarditis and pericardial constriction. This review summarizes the techniques, indications, and recent studies on the use of advanced cardiac imaging in pericarditis and pericardial constriction.