Article,
Free-breathing, three-dimensional coronary artery magnetic resonance angiography: comparison of sequences.
J Magn Reson Imaging, 20 (3): 395--402 (September 2004)
DOI: 10.1002/jmri.20141
Abstract
To compare six free-breathing, three-dimensional, magnetization-prepared
coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) sequences.Six bright-blood
sequences were evaluated: Cartesian segmented gradient echo (C-SGE),
radial SGE (R-SGE), spiral SGE (S-SGE), spiral gradient echo (S-GE),
Cartesian steady-state free precession (C-SSFP), and radial SSFP
(R-SSFP). The right coronary artery (RCA) was imaged in 10 healthy
volunteers using all six sequences in randomized order. Images were
evaluated by two observers with respect to signal-to-noise ratio
(SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), visible vessel length, vessel
edge sharpness, and vessel diameter.C-SSFP depicted RCA over the
longest distance with high vessel sharpness, good SNR, and excellent
background suppression. S-GE provided best SNR and CNR in proximal
segments, but more vessel blurring and poorer background suppression,
resulting in poor visualization of distal segments. R-SSFP images
showed good background suppression and best vessel sharpness, but
only moderate SNR. C-SGE provided good SNR and reasonable CNR, but
lowest vessel sharpness. S-SGE and R-SGE visualized the RCA over
the smallest distance, mostly due to vessel blurring and low SNR,
respectively.Overall, Cartesian SSFP provided the best image quality
with excellent vessel sharpness, visualization of long vessel segments,
and good SNR and CNR.
Tags
- adult;
- analysis
- angiography,
- coronary
- female;
- humans;
- imaging,
- magnetic
- male;
- methods;
- of
- physiology;
- resonance
- respiration
- three-dimensional;
- variance;
- vessels,
