Coronary MR angiography clinical applications and potential for imaging coronary artery disease.
Over the past decade, CMRA has emerged as a unique clinical imaging tool with applications in selected populations. Patients with suspected coronary artery anomalies and patients with Kawasaki disease and coronary aneurysms are among those for whom CMRA has demonstrated clinical usefulness. For assessment of patients with atherosclerotic CAD, CMRA is useful for detection of patency of bypass grafts. At centers with appropriate expertise and resources, CMRA also appears to be of value for exclusion of severe proximal multivessel CAD in selected patients. Data from multicenter trials will continue to define the clinical role of CMRA, particularly as it relates to assessment of CAD. Future developments and enhancements of CMRA promise better lumen and coronary artery wall imaging. This may become the new target in noninvasive evaluation of CAD.
Danias
Peter G
PG
Harvard-Thorndike Laboratory of the Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Stuber
Matthias
M
Botnar
René M
RM
Kissinger
Kraig V
KV
Yeon
Susan B
SB
Rofsky
Neil M
NM
Manning
Warren J
WJ
D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*