[Possibilities and prospects of noninvasive bypass diagnosis. Comparison of different nuclear magnetic resonance tomography methods with conventional coronary angiography].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to evaluate the patency of coronary artery bypass grafts (CABGs) with different MR imaging techniques.


METHODS
25 patients with 63 bypass grafts and a total of 78 distal anastomoses were studied at a 1.5-Tesla scanner. A 2-D T2-weighted breath-hold turbo spin echo sequence (Haste), a 3-D breath-hold contrast-enhanced MR angiography sequence (Fisp-3-D), and 3-D angiography sequence in navigator techniques were used.


RESULTS
With the Haste and Fisp-3-D sequences, 44 of the 47 patent and 14 of the 16 occluded grafts were recognized, the sensitivity and specificity were 94% and 88%, respectively. With the Haste sequence, 80% (43/54) of the distal anastomoses were seen in good image quality, and with the Fish-3-D sequence 70% (38/54). The navigator sequence showed less sensitivity and specificity (74% and 63%, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
The patency of CABGs can be evaluated noninvasively with the Haste and the Fisp-3-D angiography sequences. Better results can be expected with the development of a blood-pool contrast medium and an improvement of the spatial resolution.
Wittlinger
Thomas
T
Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz. wittlinger@2-med.klinik.uni-mainz.de
Voigtländer
Thomas
T
Meyer
Jürgen
J
Kreitner
Karl-Friedrich
KF
Kalden
Peter
P
Thelen
Manfred
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity