All CMR studies were performed with a Siemens Magnetom Skyra 3 Tesla scanner (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). Five patients with whom cooperation during the procedure was impossible (small or hyperactive children) required general anaesthesia. The routine CMR protocol was used [7 (link)]. Imaging parameters were as follows: field of view 340 mm, matrix 208, repetition time approximately 39.24 ms, echo time 1.43 ms, flip angle 39°, slice thickness 6–8 mm (depending on the child’s age), gap 2 mm, in-plane image resolution 1.6 × 1.6 × 6–8 mm and temporal resolution 25 phases per cardiac cycle. Images were analysed using dedicated software, short-axis SSFP cine images were previewed and endocardial contours for end-diastole and end-systole of both ventricles (identified manually by the largest and the smallest lumen) were manually traced. Trabeculae and papillary muscles were included in ventricle cavities.
In one child the assessment of both ventricular volumes and in one only the right ventricular volume was impossible in CMR due to artefacts connected with excessive arrhythmia. Those patients were not included in the statistical analysis.
In one child the assessment of both ventricular volumes and in one only the right ventricular volume was impossible in CMR due to artefacts connected with excessive arrhythmia. Those patients were not included in the statistical analysis.