Premium
Fast isotropic volumetric coronary MR angiography using free‐breathing 3D radial balanced FFE acquisition
Author(s) -
Stehning C.,
Börnert P.,
Nehrke K.,
Eggers H.,
Dössel O.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
magnetic resonance in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.696
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1522-2594
pISSN - 0740-3194
DOI - 10.1002/mrm.20128
Subject(s) - undersampling , imaging phantom , coronary arteries , image quality , image resolution , isotropy , volume (thermodynamics) , computer science , biomedical engineering , nuclear medicine , medicine , computer vision , artery , physics , image (mathematics) , cardiology , optics , quantum mechanics
A shortcoming of current coronary MRA methods with thin‐slab 3D acquisitions is the time‐consuming examination necessitated by extensive scout scanning and precise slice planning. To improve ease of use and cover larger parts of the anatomy, it appears desirable to image the entire heart with high spatial resolution instead. For this purpose, an isotropic 3D‐radial acquisition was employed in this study. This method allows undersampling of k ‐space in all three spatial dimensions, and its insensitivity to motion enables extended acquisitions per cardiac cycle. We present initial phantom and in vivo results obtained in volunteers that demonstrate large volume coverage with high isotropic spatial resolution. We were able to visualize all major parts of the coronary arteries retrospectively from the volume data set without compromising the image quality. The scan time ranged from 10 to 14 min during free breathing at a heart rate of 60 bpm, which is comparable to that of a thin‐slab protocol comprising multiple scans for each coronary artery. Magn Reson Med 52:197–203, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.