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Detection of coronary artery disease by free-breathing, whole heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography: our initial experience

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Abstract

Free-breathing, whole heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) has gained great attention as a totally noninvasive diagnostic modality for the detection of coronary artery disease. We examined the accuracy of coronary MRA to identify the presence or absence of coronary artery stenosis in comparison with conventional coronary angiography. Free-breathing, whole heart coronary MRA was performed in 43 consecutive patients undergoing conventional coronary angiography. A total of 172 coronary arteries and 344 coronary artery segments were analyzed. In the coronary artery segment-based analysis, the sensitivity to detect coronary stenosis ≥50% was 82% and specificity was 100%. The accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value was 97%, 98%, and 96%, respectively. In the vessel-based analysis the sensitivity was 86%, specificity 99%, accuracy 95%, positive predictive value 98%, and negative predictive value 94%. In the patient-based analysis, the sensitivity to detect coronary stenosis <50% was 97% and the specificity to define luminal narrowing <50% was 90%. The accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value was 95%, 97%, and 90%, respectively. Free-breathing, whole heart coronary MRA yields excellent diagnostic accuracy to detect significant coronary artery disease and has the potential to become the routine diagnostic modality for patients with suspected coronary artery disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Integrative Health Medicine, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Oyaguchi-Kamimachi, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-8610, Japan

    Taeko Kunimasa, Yuichi Sato, Masaaki Chiku & Satoshi Saito

  2. Department of Cardiology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    Naoya Matsumoto, Shigemasa Tani, Satoshi Kunimoto, Shunichi Yoda & Ken Nagao

  3. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan

    Shu Kasama

Authors
  1. Taeko Kunimasa
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  2. Yuichi Sato
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  3. Naoya Matsumoto
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  4. Masaaki Chiku
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  5. Shigemasa Tani
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  6. Shu Kasama
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  7. Satoshi Kunimoto
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  8. Shunichi Yoda
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  9. Satoshi Saito
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  10. Ken Nagao
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Correspondence to Yuichi Sato.

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Kunimasa, T., Sato, Y., Matsumoto, N. et al. Detection of coronary artery disease by free-breathing, whole heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography: our initial experience. Heart Vessels 24, 429–433 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00380-008-1143-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00380-008-1143-9

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