[Multislice TrueFISP-MR imaging for identifying stress-induced myocardial functional disturbances in coronary heart disease].
OBJECTIVE
This study assesses the left ventricular function using a new multislice cine sequence and determines the diagnostic accuracy of stress-induced wall motion abnormalities in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).


METHODS
15 patients (mean age 57.7 years) with angiographically proven CAD were examined on a 1.5 T whole body system (Magnetom Sonata, Siemens, Erlangen) at rest and during dipyridamole-induced (0.56 mg/kg body weight) stress. Left ventricular function was determined using a multislice (steady-state) sequence (TR 2.3 ms, TE 1.15 ms, slice thickness 10 mm, temporal resolution 77 ms) as well as a standard single-slice true FISP 2D sequence (TR 3.2 ms, TE 1.6 ms, slice thickness 5 mm, temporal resolution 45 ms) as reference.


RESULTS
Both cine sequences provide high sensitivity and excellent correlation (r = 0.95) with angiographic findings for the detection of regional wall motion abnormalities. However, the measurement of functional parameters yielded significant differences. End-systolic left ventricular volumes (ESV) were systematically overestimated in the multislice images (mean 78 ml, + 5.8 %) compared with the reference single-slice images (mean 74 ml) (p < 0.05). This resulted in underestimation of the ejection fraction with multislice images (mean 40 %, - 11.3 %) compared with single-slice images (mean 46 %) (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The multislice sequence results in a substantial reduction of imaging time and breath-hold periods necessary to cover the left ventricle for functional assessment. The multislice sequence yields adequate images, especially for qualitative determination of wall motion abnormalities. Due to the reduced spatial and temporal resolution of the multi-slice sequence, however, some uncertainty concerning the functional parameters has to be taken into account.
Kramer
U
U
Radiologische Klinik, Abteilung Radiologische Diagnostik, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen. ulrich.kramer@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Fenchel
M
M
Helber
U
U
Kraft
A
A
Stauder
N I
NI
Franow
A
A
Claussen
C D
CD
Miller
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002306:Cardiac Volume / Q000502:physiology; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004176:Dipyridamole; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008432:Mathematical Computing; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology
D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D004176:Dipyridamole