Coronary MRA

Coronary X‐ray angiography is the gold standard for coronary artery imaging, but is an invasive procedure, with a minor risk of potentially serious complications in addition to the drawback of exposure to ionizing radiation. Coronary magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is a noninvasive method of imaging the coronary arteries, with no known adverse effects. In addition to morphologic evaluation of coronary artery disease with coronary MRA, cardiac MRI offers exciting possibilities to study the functional significance of coronary artery disease in the same setting. Three widely used coronary MRA approaches are presented‐‐two free‐breathing navigator‐gated methods, and a breath‐hold method. Although the positive predictive value of coronary MRA for detecting stenoses remains lower than that of X‐ray angiography, coronary MRA can reliably detect anomalous origins of coronary arteries, and has a high negative predictive value for stenoses. In conclusion, coronary MRA is a promising tool to study coronary artery disease.