title: High spatial resolution coronary magnetic resonance angiography at 7 T: comparison with low spatial resolution bright blood imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare bright blood high spatial resolution (HR) coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) with low spatial resolution (LR) bright blood coronary MRA at 7 T.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four healthy volunteers underwent navigator-gated 3-dimensional imaging of the right coronary artery at 7 T using 2 sequences: HR bright blood and LR bright blood. Image postprocessing involved newly developed multiplanar reformatting to straighten the right coronary artery. Image quality was determined by vessel edge sharpness, signal-to-noise ratio, contrast-to-noise ratio, visible vessel length, and vessel diameter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vessel edge sharpness was statistically significantly higher in HR as compared with LR (0.57 ± 0.1 vs 0.46 ± 0.06; P < 0.001), at the cost of lower signal-to-noise ratio (HR, 32.9 ± 11.0 vs LR, 112.5 ± 48.9; P < 0.001) and contrast-to-noise ratio (HR, 17.9 ± 7.4 vs LR, 50.5 ± 26.1; P < 0.001). Visible vessel length and vessel diameter were similar for both sequences (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High spatial resolution bright blood coronary MRA at 7 T is feasible and improves vessel edge sharpness as compared with LR bright blood imaging.
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of *Radiology and †Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maurice B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Bizino
authors.forename: Cosimo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonetti
authors.forename: Rob J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: van der Geest
authors.forename: Maarten J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Versluis
authors.forename: Andrew G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.forename: Hildo J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lamb
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio