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Initial experiences with in vivo intravascular coronary vessel wall imaging
Author(s) -
Botnar René M.,
Bücker Arno,
Kim W. Yong,
Viohl Ingmar,
Günther Rolf W.,
Spuentrup Elmar
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.10291
Subject(s) - electromagnetic coil , image quality , biomedical engineering , artery , coronary arteries , coronary vessel , blood vessel , medicine , materials science , physics , computer science , cardiology , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , image (mathematics)
Purpose To evaluate potential use of a loopless internal receiver coil for in vivo coronary artery vessel wall imaging in five domestic swine. Materials and Methods Intravascular free‐breathing black blood coronary vessel wall imaging was performed using a previously described double inversion fast spin echo technique after x‐ray guided placement of an internal receiver coil in or in close proximity to the target vessel (LAD, LCX). Results Image quality using the phased array coil was reproducible, while image quality with the internal receiver coil was heavily dependent on coil position with respect to the examined artery, and likely also dependent on blood flow and/or cardiac‐related coil motion. With internal coil placement in the left circumflex coronary artery, images of the left anterior descending vessel wall appeared similar or superior compared to commercially available phased array surface coil images. With coil placement in the target vessel itself, imaging was suboptimal because of the extremely high signal intensity (hotspot) in close proximity to the vessel wall, leading to low contrast between the vessel wall and the surrounding tissues and blood. Conclusion In this study, we demonstrate the feasibility of in vivo intravascular coronary vessel wall imaging. Continued research is necessary to minimize coil motion and optimize coil sensitivity algorithms. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2003;17:615–619. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.