Three-dimensional coronary artery MR imaging using prospective real-time respiratory navigator and linear phase shift processing: comparison with conventional coronary angiography

• Published in: Magnetic resonance imaging Vol. 17; no. 8; pp. 1111 - 1120
• Main Authors: Lethimonnier, Franck, Furber, Alain, Morel, Oliver, Geslin, Philippe, L’Hoste, Philippe, Tadei, André, Jallet, Pierre, Caron-Poitreau, Christine, Le Jeune, Jean-Jacques
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-10-1999; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: 3D MR angiography; Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Cardiology. Vascular system; Conventional angiography; Coronary Angiography; Coronary arteries; Coronary Disease - diagnosis; Coronary Vessels - pathology; Diseases of the peripheral vessels. Diseases of the vena cava. Miscellaneous; Female; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Magnetic Resonance Angiography - methods; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Navigator echo; Predictive Value of Tests; Prospective Studies; Respiration; 3D MR angiography; Navigator echo; Coronary arteries; Conventional angiography; Human; Sensitivity analysis; Radiodiagnosis; Angiography; Phase shift; Coronary artery; Stenosis; Cardiovascular disease; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Real time system; Artery; Arterial disease; Vascular disease; Specificity; Medical imagery; Tridimensional image; Diagnosis; Technique; Respiration; Triggering; Comparative study; Contrast media
• ISSN: 0730-725X; 1873-5894
• DOI: 10.1016/S0730-725X(99)00065-X

Respiratory gating with navigator echo is a recent technique to detect diaphragm position in 3D magnetic resonance (MR) coronary angiography. The purpose of our study was to image proximal coronary arteries and to detect significant stenoses in patients with coronary artery diseases and to compare with contrast enhanced angiography results. Twenty patients with coronary artery diseases who were referred for conventional angiography underwent magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Three-dimensional gradient echo volumes were acquired using cardiac and respiratory gating and fat suppression. Using reformatted oblique planes and maximum intensity projection technique, visualization coronary segments and detection of significant coronary stenoses were made. Eighty-three coronary segments were analyzed. The sensitivity and specificity were 65% and 93%, respectively. The corresponding positive and negative predictive values were 69% and 91%. This study shows the ability to image correctly coronary arteries and to identify proximal stenoses, but image quality need to be improved for an efficiency detection of coronary artery stenoses in clinical practice.