3-DIMENSIONAL MR-IMAGING OF THE CORONARY-ARTERIES - PRELIMINARY CLINICAL-EXPERIENCE

A three-dimensional (3D) magnetization-prepared (MP) rapid gradient-ec ho (RAGE) and 3D RAGE technique was used to image the coronary arterie s in healthy volunteers and patients with known disease. Each sequence produced images of volumes partitioned into 16 thin sections with dif fering blood-fat-myocardium contrast. The two types of images were sub tracted to null fat signal, thus producing a third image set that show ed flowing blood. Total imaging time was about 17 minutes. In the volu nteers, the 3D MP-RAGE and subtraction images consistently showed the morphology of the right coronary artery. The left main and left anteri or descending arteries were also well seen. The circumflex artery was less consistently identified. Of the 17 diseased coronary artery segme nts identified at catheterization, 16 had altered signal intensity (na rrowing, occlusion, reduced contrast-to-noise ratio, irregularity) on the subtraction images, while 13 had altered signal intensity on the 3 D MP-RAGE images. The results indicate that this 3D MP-RAGE and 3D RAG E technique has potential utility as a screening method for coronary h eart disease.