Improved MR flow mapping in coronary artery bypass grafts during adenosine-induced stress

SE Langerak, P Kunz, HW Vliegen, HJ Lamb… - Radiology, 2001 - pubs.rsna.org
SE Langerak, P Kunz, HW Vliegen, HJ Lamb, JW Jukema, EE van der Wall, A de Roos
Radiology, 2001pubs.rsna.org
PURPOSE: To validate a recently developed fast high-temporal-resolution magnetic
resonance (MR) flow sequence and use it to assess coronary artery bypass graft function
during pharmacologic stress. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Aortic and internal mammary
artery flow was measured in 11 healthy volunteers by using conventional cine gradient-echo
imaging as a reference standard method and turbo-field echo-planar imaging (TFEPI). By
using TFEPI, breath-hold flow mapping with a spatial and temporal resolution of 0.8 mm2 …
PURPOSE: To validate a recently developed fast high-temporal-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) flow sequence and use it to assess coronary artery bypass graft function during pharmacologic stress.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Aortic and internal mammary artery flow was measured in 11 healthy volunteers by using conventional cine gradient-echo imaging as a reference standard method and turbo-field echo-planar imaging (TFEPI). By using TFEPI, breath-hold flow mapping with a spatial and temporal resolution of 0.8 mm2 and 23 msec, respectively, can be performed. This sequence was applied in 20 angiographically normal grafts, and total blood flow at rest and during adenosine infusion (140 μg/kg/min) was measured.
RESULTS: Good agreement in aortic and internal mammary artery flow values between conventional fast-field echo and TFEPI techniques was found. The mean bypass graft total flow (± SD), as assessed with TFEPI, increased from 30.8 mL/min ± 13.5 to 76.7 mL/min ± 36.5 (P < .05) to yield a flow reserve of 2.7. Furthermore, this sequence revealed a difference in total flow between single and sequential grafts at rest (25.4 mL/min vs 40.9 mL/min; P < .05) and during stress (65.2 mL/min vs 98.3 mL/min; P < .05).
CONCLUSION: Breath-hold TFEPI provides fast accurate flow measurements with high temporal resolution and allows motion-compensated flow quantification in multiple coronary artery bypass grafts during one 6-minute adenosine infusion.
Radiological Society of North America