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Quantification of regurgitant lesions by MRI
International Journal of Cardiac Imaging
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) effectively visualizes heart valve regurgitation. MRI accurately quantifies regurgitant fraction and ventricular volumes, correlating well with traditional angiography.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Diagnostic Radiology
- Medical Physics
Background:
- Valvular heart disease, particularly mitral and aortic regurgitation, requires accurate assessment of regurgitant lesions.
- Traditional methods like angiography and echocardiography have limitations in fully characterizing regurgitation.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) offers advanced visualization capabilities for cardiac structures and blood flow.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a 0.5 Tesla MRI system in assessing patients with mitral and aortic regurgitation.
- To compare MRI-derived volumetric and regurgitant fraction measurements with conventional angiography and echocardiography.
- To assess the ability of MRI gradient echo techniques to visualize and quantify regurgitant jets.
Main Methods:
- 46 patients with documented mitral (n=26) or aortic (n=20) regurgitation underwent MRI using a 0.5 Tesla magnet.
- Multislice-multiphase cine sequences (sagittal-coronal) assessed ventricular volumes and ejection fraction.
- Blood flow-sensitive gradient echo sequences visualized regurgitant jet direction and extent.
Main Results:
- MRI gradient echo successfully visualized regurgitant jets in all patients.
- Strong linear correlation found between MRI and angiography for ventricular volume parameters, notably left ventricular stroke volume (r=0.82).
- MRI regurgitant fraction correlated well with angiographic data for aortic (r=0.91) and mitral (r=0.67) regurgitation.
- Semiquantitative MRI assessment agreed with angiographic grading in 70-75% of cases.
- Moderate correlation (r=0.72) observed between MRI and color Doppler echocardiography.
Conclusions:
- 0.5 Tesla MRI is a valuable tool for assessing patients with mitral and aortic regurgitation.
- MRI provides accurate quantitative assessment of ventricular volumes and regurgitant fractions, comparable to angiography.
- Gradient echo MRI effectively visualizes regurgitant jets, aiding in diagnosis and management.