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

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.