Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Coronary Arteries: Technique

Coronary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive diagnosis alternative to catheter-based x-ray angiography among patients with suspected anomalous coronary artery disease and coronary artery aneurysms. However, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) assessment of coronary lumen integrity and plaque burden/activity remains challenging. Nevertheless, CMR has shown great potential for coronary lumen, plaque (with and without contrast agents), and thrombus/hemorrhage visualization. Thus, technical developments are being investigated to allow MRI to achieve similar diagnostic lumen accuracy as the current clinical gold standard as well as plaque characterization. Main technical challenges include suboptimal spatial resolution (due to long acquisition times required) and coronary motion suppression with unpredictable scan times (depending largely on the breathing pattern of the subject). In this chapter, we will review the imaging strategies for MRI of coronary arteries, coronary vessel walls, and coronary veins.