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(Circulation. 2008;118:586-606.)
© 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.

AHA Scientific Statement

Noninvasive Coronary Artery Imaging

Magnetic Resonance Angiography and Multidetector Computed Tomography Angiography: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association Committee on Cardiovascular Imaging and Intervention of the Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention, and the Councils on Clinical Cardiology and Cardiovascular Disease in the Young

David A. Bluemke, MD, PhD, FAHA, Chair; Stephan Achenbach, MD; Matthew Budoff, MD, FAHA; Thomas C. Gerber, MD, FAHA; Bernard Gersh, DPhil, MD, FAHA; L. David Hillis, MD; W. Gregory Hundley, MD, FAHA; Warren J. Manning, MD, FAHA; Beth Feller Printz, MD, PhD; Matthias Stuber, PhD; Pamela K. Woodard, MD, FAHA

Key Words: AHA Scientific Statements • angiography • imaging

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

	Introduction

 
Since the early 1960s, selective x-ray coronary angiography has provided the only means of visualizing the coronary arterial system in vivo. However, it has several disadvantages. First, the incidence, albeit relatively low, of so-called major adverse events (death, myocardial infarction, or stroke) during or within 24 hours of selective coronary angiography is reported to be 0.2% to 0.3%, and the incidence of so-called minor complications (most of which are related to problems with the peripheral vessels through which catheters are inserted) is roughly 1% to 2%.^1–3 Second, x-ray coronary angiography is accompanied by a modest amount of discomfort, because the placement of catheters is invasive. Third, it is expensive: the required equipment is costly, and the performance of the procedure necessitates considerable time and skill of highly trained physicians and support personnel. Last, the information obtained via catheter-based coronary angiography pertains to the coronary arterial lumen alone. As a result, alternative methods of visualizing the coronary arterial system that would allow one to avoid these disadvantages are desirable.

Over the past 15 years, substantial advances have been made in noninvasive cardiac imaging in general and in visualization of the coronary arteries in particular. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the coronary arteries was advanced in the early 1990s with the development of high-speed gradient techniques and dedicated cardiac coils. The primary advantage of this technique is the patient’s lack of exposure to ionizing radiation or iodinated contrast media. Coronary MRA may also be combined with other magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques . . . [Full Text of this Article]