A practical guide to nonvascular thoracic magnetic resonance imaging

There is increasing perception that thoracic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is underutilized. Various obstacles to implementation and utilization of thoracic MRI can be overcome with continuous updating, improvement, and standardization of thoracic MRI protocols, close collaboration with MRI technologists, continued education of MRI technologists, radiologists, and referring health care providers, and incorporation of MRI training into thoracic imaging fellowship programs. The purpose of this article is to share the author's experience in developing a successful nonvascular thoracic MRI practice, discuss the fundamentals of nonvascular thoracic MRI, and provide a "how-to" manual for its performance.