Three-dimensional coronary magnetic resonance angiography with injection of extracellular contrast medium

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. TO evaluate serial changes of the signal intensity and the contrast-to-noise ratios of the coronary arteries on three-dimensional (3D) coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) after an injection of extracellular contrast medium, and to demonstrate the feasibility of this method for the diagnosis of coronary artery abnormalities. METHODS. Five healthy volunteers and two patients with Kawasaki disease and an anomalous coronary artery were studied. Coronary MRAs of the left anterior descending artery and the right coronary artery were obtained using a fat-suppressed 3D MRA sequence before and 0 to 5, 10 to 15, 20 to 25, and 30 to 35 minutes after administration of Gd-DTPA-BMA. RESULTS. Administration of the contrast agent provided a significant increase in the signal intensity and contrast-to-noise ratio. Aneurysm of the left anterior descending artery in Kawasaki disease and the proximal course of the anomalous right coronary artery, which were not well depicted on precontrast 3D MRA, were clearly demonstrated after contrast injection. CONCLUSIONS. The current study demonstrated that the use of an extracellular gadolinium contrast agent can significantly improve the clinical usefulness of 3D coronary MRA.