High-resolution selective three-dimensional magnetic resonance coronary angiography with navigator-echo technique: Segment-by-segment evaluation of coronary artery stenosis

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of high-resolution selective three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance coronary angiography (MRCA) in the evaluation of coronary artery stenoses. Materials and Methods: In 12 patients with coronary artery stenoses. MRCA of the coronary artery groups, including the coronary segments with stenoses of 50% or greater based on conventional x-ray coronary angiography (CAG), was performed with double-oblique imaging planes by orienting the 3D slab along the major axis of each right coronary artery-left circumflex artery (RCA-LCX) group and each left main trunk-left anterior descending artery (LMT-LAD) group. Ten RCA-LCX and five LMT-LAD MR angiograms were obtained, and the results were compared with those of conventional x-ray angiography. Results: Among 70 coronary artery segments expected to be covered, a total of 49 (70%) segments were fully demonstrated in diagnostic quality, The identification of segmental location of stenoses showed as high an accuracy as 96%. The retrospective analysis for stenosis of 50% or greater yielded the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 80%, 85%, and 84%, respectively. Conclusion: Selective 3D MRCA has the potential for segment-by-segment evaluation of major portions of the right and left coronary arteries with high accuracy. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.