Facilitated acquisition of whole-heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography with visual feedback of respiration status

Int J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2009 Apr;25(4):397-403. doi: 10.1007/s10554-008-9398-x. Epub 2008 Dec 16.

Abstract

Three dimensional (3D) whole-heart (WH) coronary MR angiography (CMRA) requires an extended imaging time, but it may be reduced by providing a subject with visual feedback (VFB). Thirteen healthy volunteers were scanned and quality of 3D WH-CMRA images was compared among three scan conditions: free breathing (FB) with and without VFB (FB + VFB and FB - VFB, respectively) and multiple breath-holds with VFB (MBH + VFB). All but two subjects were able to complete all scans. The average scan times were 10.0 +/- 2.2, 10.0 +/- 2.5, and 8.2 +/- 1.3 min for FB - VFB, FB + VFB, and MBH + VFB, respectively. In the MBH + VFB condition, scan time was significantly reduced by 18% compared with both FB scans. No significant difference in image quality was observed between the FB - VFB and MBH + VFB conditions, but scores were significantly deteriorated at some segments in the FB + VFB condition. The MBH + VFB scan can be performed with a shorter scan time without failure or impairment of image quality.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Coronary Vessels / anatomy & histology*
  • Feedback
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / methods
  • Magnetic Resonance Angiography / methods*
  • Male
  • Respiration*
  • Statistics, Nonparametric