Abstract #3462

Precision and Accuracy of Coronary Cross-Sectional Area MRI Measurements Used to Measure Coronary Endothelial Function

Michael Schär¹, Sahar Soleimanifard¹, Gabriele Bonanno^1,2, Jérôme Yerly^3,4, Allison G Hays², and Robert G Weiss^1,2

¹Division of MR Research, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States, ²Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States, ³Department of Radiology, University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland, ⁴Center for Biomedical Imaging (CIBM), Lausanne, Switzerland

Coronary endothelial function (CEF) can be measured noninvasively with MRI by quantifying changes in coronary artery cross-sectional area in response to isometric handgrip exercise. Those area changes are only a few imaging pixels because of MRI’s limited spatial resolution. Here we show with both numerical simulations and phantom measurements that 8-fold Fourier interpolation enables sub-pixel area measurement precision. Second, area measurement precision and accuracy can be further improved with smaller acquisition voxels as long as the signal-to-noise ratio remains above 30. Third, the currently used CEF-MRI protocol distinguishes area-changes of less than 5% at SNR measured in vivo.

This abstract and the presentation materials are available to members only; a login is required.

Join Here