Contrast agent-enhanced, free-breathing, three-dimensional coronary magnetic resonance angiography

For free-breathing, high-resolution, three-dimensional coronary magnetic re sonance angiography (MRA), the use of intravascular contrast agents may be helpful far contrast enhancement between coronary blood and myocardium, In six patients, 0.1 mmol/kg of the intravascular contrast agent M6-325/AngioM ARK(TM) was given intravenously followed by double-oblique, free-breathing, three-dimensional inversion-recovery coronary MRA with real-time navigator gating and motion correction Contrast-enhanced, three-dimensional coronary MRA images were compared with images obtained with a T2 prepulse (TaPrep) without exogenous contrast. The contrast-enhanced images demonstrated a 69% improvement in the contrast-to-noise ratio (6.6 +/- 1.1 vs, 11.1 +/- 2.5; P < 0.01) compared with the T2Prep approach. By using the intravascular age nt, extensive portions (> 80 mm) of the native left and right coronary syst em could be displayed consistently with sub-millimeter in-plane resolution, The intravascular contrast agent, MS-325/AngioMARK(TM), leads to a conside rable enhancement of the blood/muscle contrast for coronary MRA compared wi th T2Prep techniques. The clinical value of the agent remains to be defined in a larger patient series. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.