Performance of a new gadolinium-based intravascular contrast agent in free-breathing inversion-recovery 3D coronary MRA.
In three-dimensional (3D) coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), the in-flow contrast between the coronary blood and the surrounding myocardium is attenuated as compared to thin-slab two-dimensional (2D) techniques. The application of a gadolinium (Gd)-based intravascular contrast agent may provide an additional source of signal and contrast by reducing T(1blood) and supporting the visualization of more distal or branching segments of the coronary arterial tree. In six healthy adults, the left coronary artery (LCA) system was imaged pre- and postcontrast with a 0.075-mmol/kg bodyweight dose of the intravascular contrast agent B-22956. For imaging, an optimized free-breathing, navigator-gated and -corrected 3D inversion recovery (IR) sequence was used. For comparison, state-of-the-art baseline 3D coronary MRA with T(2) preparation for non-exogenous contrast enhancement was acquired. The combination of IR 3D coronary MRA, sophisticated navigator technology, and B-22956 allowed for an extensive visualization of the LCA system. Postcontrast, a significant increase in both the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR; 46%, P < 0.05) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR; 160%, P < 0.01) was observed, while vessel sharpness of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery and the left coronary circumflex (LCX) were improved by 20% (P < 0.05) and 18% (P < 0.05), respectively.
Huber
Michael E
ME
ETH and University Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Paetsch
Ingo
I
Schnackenburg
Bernhard
B
Bornstedt
Axel
A
Nagel
Eike
E
Fleck
Eckart
E
Boesiger
Peter
P
Maggioni
Fabio
F
Cavagna
Friedrich M
FM
Stuber
Matthias
M
D000328:Adult; D001158:Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D003287:Contrast Media; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005682:Gadolinium; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D009942:Organometallic Compounds
C440468:B-22956-1; D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D005682:Gadolinium