Navigator-gated free-breathing three-dimensional balanced fast field echo (TrueFISP) coronary magnetic resonance angiography

TY - JOUR

T1 - Navigator-gated free-breathing three-dimensional balanced fast field echo (TrueFISP) coronary magnetic resonance angiography

AU - Spuentrup, E

AU - Bornert, P

AU - Botnar, R M

AU - Groen, J P

AU - Manning, W J

AU - Stuber, M

PY - 2002/11/1

Y1 - 2002/11/1

N2 - RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. Recent developments of MR imaging equipment enabled high-quality steady state-free-precession (Balanced FFE, True-FISP) MR-imaging with a substantial 'T2 like' contrast, resulting in a high signal intensity of the blood-pool without the application of exogenous contrast agents. It is hypothesized that Balanced-FFE may be valuable for contrast enhancement in 3D free-breathing coronary MRA. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Navigator-gated free-breathing cardiac triggered coronary MRA was performed in 10 healthy adult subjects and three patients with radiograph defined coronary artery disease using a segmented k-space 3D Balanced FFE imaging sequence. RESULTS. High contrast-to-noise ratio between the blood-pool and the myocardium (29 +/- 8) and long segment visualization of both coronary arteries could be obtained in about 5 minutes during free breathing using the present navigator-gated Balanced-FFE coronary MRA approach. First patient results demonstrated successful display of coronary artery stenoses. CONCLUSION. Balanced FFE offers a potential alternative for endogenous contrast enhancement in navigator-gated free-breathing 3D coronary MRA. The obtained results together with the relatively short scanning time warrant further studies in larger patient collectives

AB - RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. Recent developments of MR imaging equipment enabled high-quality steady state-free-precession (Balanced FFE, True-FISP) MR-imaging with a substantial 'T2 like' contrast, resulting in a high signal intensity of the blood-pool without the application of exogenous contrast agents. It is hypothesized that Balanced-FFE may be valuable for contrast enhancement in 3D free-breathing coronary MRA. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Navigator-gated free-breathing cardiac triggered coronary MRA was performed in 10 healthy adult subjects and three patients with radiograph defined coronary artery disease using a segmented k-space 3D Balanced FFE imaging sequence. RESULTS. High contrast-to-noise ratio between the blood-pool and the myocardium (29 +/- 8) and long segment visualization of both coronary arteries could be obtained in about 5 minutes during free breathing using the present navigator-gated Balanced-FFE coronary MRA approach. First patient results demonstrated successful display of coronary artery stenoses. CONCLUSION. Balanced FFE offers a potential alternative for endogenous contrast enhancement in navigator-gated free-breathing 3D coronary MRA. The obtained results together with the relatively short scanning time warrant further studies in larger patient collectives

U2 - 10.1097/00004424-200211000-00008

DO - 10.1097/00004424-200211000-00008

M3 - Article

VL - 37

SP - 637

EP - 642

JO - Investigative Radiology

JF - Investigative Radiology

IS - 11

ER -