ISCHEMIC-HEART-DISEASE - ASSESSMENT WITH GADOLINIUM-ENHANCED ULTRAFAST MR-IMAGING AND DIPYRIDAMOLE STRESS

The potential of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for the detection of myocardial perfusion abnormalities in patients with coronary artery di sease has not been fully explored. A feasibility study was conducted i n 10 patients with a novel approach to determine whether myocardial is chemia can be assessed with MR imaging and dynamic first-pass bolus tr acking enhanced with gadolinium tetraazacyclododecanetetraacetic acid (DOTA). Three tomographic planes were acquired before and after pharma cologic stress with dipyridamole, with use of the bolus-tracking serie s at rest as a reference. The change in myocardial rate of enhancement was compared with the results obtained by means of the established me thods. exercise thallium scintigraphy and coronary angiography. Detect ion of ischemic regions with MR imaging showed a sensitivity, specific ity, and diagnostic accuracy of 65%, 76% and 74%, respectively. Ultraf ast MR imaging can be used to detect regions of myocardial ischemia.