Keywords:
Cardiac, Contrast agents, MR, Contrast agent-intravenous, Imaging sequences, Tissue characterisation
Authors:
A. Cazacu; Chisinau /MD
Results
Visual appearances
On cine and CE-cine images transmural scar has two appearances.
In more thin scar was represented by low SI - “dark line”.
Low SI was visualised in 24 cases (47%) of non-contrast cine images,
wall thickness 3.3 ± 1.1 mm and in 15 cases (29%) of CE-cine images,
wall thickness 2.7 ± 0.6 mm (figure 1,
2).
In rest of cases,
more thick scar was hyper intense on non-contrast cine and CE-cine images (4.5 ± 0.8 mm and respective 4.4 ± 1.0 mm).
On these images SI of myocardial scar was measured (figure 3,
4,
5,
6).
In 16 cases left ventricular thrombus was detected in LCE and CE-cine images with the same accuracy.
Image quality
SI significantly increased after contrast administration on blood (mean 121 (102 - 169) vs 279 (150 - 418); p<0.036),
on normal myocardium (mean 39 (27 - 51) vs 127 (77 - 182); p<0.007).
For transmural scar with hyper intense appearances on cine SI also significantly increased after contrast administration (mean 56 (29 - 86) vs 173 (105 - 243); p<0.012).
Relative contrast ratio (rCR) show no significant changes between blood and myocardium (median 3.1 (1.7 - 5.1) vs 2.2 (1.2 - 4.6); p<0.001),
blood and scar (median 0.7 (0.2 - 1.3) vs 1.6 (0.8 - 2.2); p<0.001).
rCR between scar and myocardium (median 1.4 (0.8 - 5.4) vs 1.4 (1.0 - 2.9); p<0.7) was similar.
CE-cine show a significantly increase in absolute contrast ratio (aCR) between blood and myocardium (median 82 (75 - 118) vs 152 (73 - 236); p<0.001),
blood and scar (median 65.2 (73 - 83) vs 106.3 (45 - 175); p>0.4),
scar and myocardium (median 16.7 (2 - 35) vs 46 (28 - 61); p<0.001).