Cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has grown over the past several decades 
into a validated, noninvasive diagnostic imaging tool with a pivotal role in 
cardiac morphologic and functional assessment and tissue characterization. With 
traditional cardiac MR imaging sequences, assessment of various pathologic 
conditions ranging from ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathy to cardiac 
involvement in systemic diseases (eg, amyloidosis and sarcoidosis) is possible; 
however, these sequences are most useful in focal myocardial disease, and image 
interpretation relies on subjective qualitative analysis of signal intensity. 
Newer T1 and T2 myocardial mapping techniques offer a quantitative assessment of 
the myocardium (by using T1 and T2 relaxation times), which can be helpful in 
focal disease, and demonstrate special utility in the evaluation of diffuse 
myocardial disease (eg, edema and fibrosis). Altered T1 and T2 relaxation times 
in disease states can be compared with published ranges of normal relaxation 
times in healthy patients. In conjunction with traditional cardiac MR imaging 
sequences, T1 and T2 mapping can limit the interpatient and interstudy 
variability that are common with qualitative analysis and may provide clinical 
markers for long-term follow-up.