Free-breathing black-blood coronary MR angiography: Initial results

The authors developed a free-breathing black-blood coronary magnetic resona nce (MR) angiographic technique with a potential for exclusive visualizatio n of the coronary blood pool. Results with the MR angiographic technique we re evaluated in eight healthy subjects and four patients with coronary dise ase identified at conventional angiography. This MR angiographic technique accurately depicted luminal disease in the patients and permitted visualiza tion of extensive continuous segments of the native coronary tree in both t he healthy subjects and the patients. Black-blood coronary MR angiography p rovides an alternative source of contrast enhancement.