Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 21, 2025

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance for the Evaluation of Suspected Cardiac Thrombus: Conventional and Emerging Techniques
Published on: June 11, 2019
MR Angiography Series: Fundamentals of Non-Contrast-enhanced MR Angiography
Benjamin Navot1, Elizabeth M Hecht1, Ruth P Lim1
1From the Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 622 W 168th St, Ph1-301, New York, NY 10032 (B.N.); Department of Radiology, New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY (E.M.H.); Department of Radiology, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Australia (R.P.L.); Departments of Radiology and Surgery, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia (R.P.L.); Department of Radiology, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Ill (R.R.E., I.K.); Department of Radiology, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill (R.R.E.); and Department of Radiology, The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill (I.K.).
Abstract:
Unlike CT angiography, which requires the use of contrast medium, MR angiography (MRA) can be performed without the use of contrast agents. This subfield of MRA is referred to as non-contrast-enhanced MRA (NC-MRA). While NC-MRA can be performed in many patients, it is especially useful in the imaging of pediatric and pregnant patients, as well as in patients with renal impairment. NC-MRA can also provide unique functional and hemodynamic information that is not obtainable with CT angiography or contrast-enhanced MRA. This module gives an overview of the predominant NC-MRA techniques that are currently available on modern clinical MRI systems, while also discussing some new and emerging topics in the field. This module is the second in a series created on behalf of the Society for Magnetic Resonance Angiography (SMRA), a group of researchers and clinicians who are passionate about the benefits of MRA but understand its challenges. The full digital presentation is available online. ©RSNA, 2021.
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