Coronary Magnetic Resonance Angiography: Techniques and Clinical Results

Abstract

Over the past two decades, considerable progress has been made in the field of noninvasive imaging of the coronary arteries using magnetic resonance (MR) angiography and computed tomography (CT). Though recent multi-slice CT provide excellent diagnostic accuracy for the detection of coronary artery disease, it has several disadvantages such as necessity of rapid injection of iodinated contrast medium and exposing the patients to ionizing radiation. Due to recent technical advancements, estimated effective radiation dose of multi-slice CT coronary angiography has been dramatically reduced. However, the radiation dose of the latest coronary CT angiography is not negligible in children and young adult patients and the patients who require serial assessment of coronary artery disease. In those patients, coronary MR angiography is preferable to coronary CT angiography because it does not expose the patient to radiation or necessitate rapid injection of iodinated contrast material. In addition, the coronary arterial lumen can be readily visualized by coronary MR angiography in patients with heavy calcification of atherosclerotic coronary plaques.