title: Double-oblique free-breathing high resolution three-dimensional coronary magnetic resonance angiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of the present study was to develop a strategy for three-dimensional (3D) volume acquisition along the major axes of the coronary arteries.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  For high-resolution 3D free-breathing coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), coverage of the coronary artery tree may be limited due to excessive measurement times associated with large volume acquisitions. Planning the 3D volume along the major axis of the coronary vessels may help to overcome such limitations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen healthy adult volunteers and seven patients with X-ray angiographically confirmed coronary artery disease underwent free-breathing navigator-gated and corrected 3D coronary MRA. For an accurate volume targeting of the high resolution scans, a three-point planscan software tool was applied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average length of contiguously visualized left main and left anterior descending coronary artery was 81.8 +/- 13.9 mm in the healthy volunteers and 76.2 +/- 16.5 mm in the patients (p = NS). For the right coronary artery, a total length of 111.7 +/- 27.7 mm was found in the healthy volunteers and 79.3 +/- 4.6 mm in the patients (p = NS). Comparing coronary MRA and X-ray angiography, a good agreement of anatomy and pathology was found in the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Double-oblique submillimeter free-breathing coronary MRA allows depiction of extensive parts of the native coronary arteries. The results obtained in patients suggest that the method has the potential to be applied in broader prospective multicenter studies where coronary MRA is compared with X-ray angiography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA. mstuber@caregroup.harvard.edu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stuber
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Botnar
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Danias
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Sodickson
authors.forename: K V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Kissinger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Cauteren
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Becker
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Manning
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male