Volume-targeted and whole-heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography using an intravascular contrast agent.
OBJECTIVE
To compare volume-targeted and whole-heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) after the administration of an intravascular contrast agent.


METHODS
Six healthy adult subjects underwent a navigator-gated and -corrected (NAV) free breathing volume-targeted cardiac-triggered inversion recovery (IR) 3D steady-state free precession (SSFP) coronary MRA sequence (t-CMRA) (spatial resolution = 1 x 1 x 3 mm(3)) and high spatial resolution IR 3D SSFP whole-heart coronary MRA (WH-CMRA) (spatial resolution = 1 x 1 x 2 mm(3)) after the administration of an intravascular contrast agent B-22956. Subjective and objective image quality parameters including maximal visible vessel length, vessel sharpness, and visibility of coronary side branches were evaluated for both t-CMRA and WH-CMRA.


RESULTS
No significant differences (P = NS) in image quality were observed between contrast-enhanced t-CMRA and WH-CMRA. However, using an intravascular contrast agent, significantly longer vessel segments were measured on WH-CMRA vs. t-CMRA (right coronary artery [RCA] 13.5 +/- 0.7 cm vs. 12.5 +/- 0.2 cm; P < 0.05; and left circumflex coronary artery [LCX] 11.9 +/- 2.2 cm vs. 6.9 +/- 2.4 cm; P < 0.05). Significantly more side branches (13.3 +/- 1.2 vs. 8.7 +/- 1.2; P < 0.05) were visible for the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) on WH-CMRA vs. t-CMRA. Scanning time and navigator efficiency were similar for both techniques (t-CMRA: 6.05 min; 49% vs. WH-CMRA: 5.51 min; 54%, both P = NS).


CONCLUSIONS
Both WH-CMRA and t-CMRA using SSFP are useful techniques for coronary MRA after the injection of an intravascular blood-pool agent. However, the vessel conspicuity for high spatial resolution WH-CMRA is not inferior to t-CMRA, while visible vessel length and the number of visible smaller-diameter vessels and side-branches are improved.
Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Lijun
L
Tang
Nico
N
Merkle
Michael
M
Schär
Grigorios
G
Korosoglou
Meiyappan
M
Solaiyappan
Vinzenz
V
Hombach
Matthias
M
Stuber
D000328:Adult; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging
D003287:Contrast Media