Human coronary arteries: projection angiograms reconstructed from breath-hold two-dimensional MR images

Radiology. 1993 Jun;187(3):719-22. doi: 10.1148/radiology.187.3.8497620.

Abstract

The authors sought to render projection magnetic resonance (MR) angiograms depicting a substantial length of human coronary arteries from sequential breath-hold two-dimensional MR images. Tomographic images of the right and left anterior descending coronary arteries were collected with use of a segmented gradient-recalled sequence that incorporated fat suppression and prone positioning of the patient over a surface coil. After editing the images to eliminate overlapping chamber signals and after realigning the images, a maximum-intensity-projection algorithm was applied to create projection angiograms. For the 10 coronary arteries without severe narrowing, visualized length with projection MR angiography was 109 mm +/- 29 (mean +/- standard error of estimate) versus 121 mm +/- 29 with conventional coronary angiography (ranges, 62-147 mm and 70-180 mm, respectively). At conventional angiography linear regression indicated vessel length to be 1.03 times the length depicted at MR angiography with good correlation (r = .8). Results indicate good correlation between measurements of vessel length with both conventional and MR angiography.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Arteries / pathology
  • Coronary Disease / diagnosis
  • Coronary Vessels / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging* / methods
  • Middle Aged