Assessment of coronary flow reserve using fast velocity-encoded cine MR imaging: Validation study using positron emission tomography

OBJECTIVE, Previous studies using intravascular Doppler sonography and posi tron emission tomography (PET) have shown that the hemodynamic significance of coronary artery stenosis can be evaluated by measuring coronary Row res erve. The purpose of this study was to assess whether MR imaging measuremen ts of coronary Row reserve in the left anterior descending artery are compa rable with those obtained with PET in the corresponding territory. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. MR imaging and PET Row measurements were obtained in 10 healthy volunteers. Blood flow velocity in the left anterior descending artery was measured with breath-hold velocity-encoded cine MR imaging befor e and after IV administration of dipyridamole. The coronary Row velocity re serve measured by MR imaging was compared with the myocardial perfusion res erve in the anterior myocardium quantified on using PET and O-15-labeled wa ter. RESULTS. The average Row velocity reserve in the left anterior descending a rtery measured on MR imaging was 2.44 +/- 1.14 in healthy volunteers, which was comparable with the myocardial perfusion reserve measured by PET (2.52 +/- 0.84). MR imaging and PET measurements of the coronary Row reserve sho wed a significant correlation (r = 0.79, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION. MR imaging measurement of the flow velocity reserve in the prox imal left anterior descending artery correlates well with the myocardial pe rfusion reserve obtained with PET and O-15-labeled water.