This study had institutional review board approval, and all patients gave informed consent. The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate the use of whole-heart three-dimensional (3D) coronary magnetic resonance (MR) angiography in patients suspected of having coronary artery disease. Whole-heart coronary MR angiography was performed in 39 patients (30 men and nine women; mean age, 63.9 years +/- 15.6 [standard deviation]) by using a steady-state free precession sequence with free breathing. Twenty patients (16 men and four women; mean age, 64.9 years +/- 11.7) also underwent conventional coronary angiography. MR angiography was successfully completed in 34 of 39 patients (87%); the average imaging time was 13.8 minutes +/- 3.8. Sensitivity and specificity of MR angiography for detecting significant stenosis were 82% (14 of 17 arteries) and 91% (39 of 43 arteries), respectively. Whole-heart coronary MR angiography with a navigator-gated steady-state sequence can enable reliable 3D visualization of the coronary arteries in patients suspected of having coronary artery disease.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of stress perfusion MRI acquired with saturation-recovery prepared turbo fast low-angle shot (turbo FLASH) compared with stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. Recent studies show that first-pass contrast-enhanced myocardial perfusion MRI can provide noninvasive detection of low-limiting stenosis in the coronary artery.MATERIALS AND METHODS. First-pass contrast-enhanced MR images were acquired at rest and during stress in 40 patients with suspected coronary artery disease. All patients underwent thallium-201 SPECT without attenuation correction and coronary angiography. Two reviewers independently assigned one of five confidence grades without knowing the results of coronary angiography for receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Luminal stenosis >70% on coronary angiography was used as a reference standard.RESULTS. On coronary angiography, 70% or greater diameter stenosis of the coronary artery was observed in 21 (...

PURPOSE: To compare contrast material–enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with resting thallium 201 (201Tl) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for predicting myocardial viability in patients early after acute myocardial infarction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Inversion-recovery contrast-enhanced MR images and resting 201Tl SPECT images were obtained in 22 patients after acute myocardial infarction. The 201Tl SPECT images were obtained 4.3 days ± 0.2 (standard error) after the onset of myocardial infarction. Contrast-enhanced MR imaging was performed 7.9 days ± 1.6 after 201Tl SPECT. Transmural extent of hyperenhancement on contrast-enhanced MR images and regional 201Tl activity were quantitatively analyzed with a 12-segment model. Regional wall thickening on follow-up cine MR images obtained 67 days ± 17 after contrast-enhanced MR imaging was used as an index for myocardial viability. Statistical analyses were performed with the χ2 and two-tailed Student t tests. RESULTS: Both contrast-enh...