Head-to-Head Comparison of Three-Dimensional Navigator-Gated Magnetic Resonance Imaging and 16-Slice Computed Tomography to Detect Coronary Artery Stenosis in Patients

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of three-dimensional navigator-gated magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and 16-slice multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) versus quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) for the detection of coronary artery stenosis in patients. Both MR and MDCT are novel non-invasive tests, which have been proposed for noninvasive detection of coronary artery disease. Yet their diagnostic accuracy has not been directly compared in the same population. Fifty-two patients underwent coronary MR and 16-slice MDCT before invasive coronary angiography. Diameter stenosis (DS) severity in vessels >1.5-mm reference diameter were graded visually and measured quantitatively on both MR and MDCT images. Diagnostic accuracy of both methods was compared using QCA as the reference test. According to QCA, 81 of 452 (18%) coronary segments with >1.5 mm diameter had >50% DS. By visual analysis, MR and MDCT had similar sensitivity (75% vs. 82%, p = NS), specificity (77% vs. 79%, p = NS), and diagnostic accuracy (77%, vs. 80%, p = NS) for detection of >50 % DS. Quantitative measures of DS by MR (r = 0.60, p < 0.001) and MDCT (r = 0.75, both p < 0.001) correlated well with QCA. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis demonstrated that quantification of DS severity improved the diagnostic accuracy of MDCT (area under curve [AUC] 0.81 vs. 0.92, p < 0.001) but not that of MR (AUC 0.78 vs. 0.83, p = NS). Visual assessment of coronary diameter stenosis severity by MR or MDCT allows identification of significant coronary artery disease with a similar high diagnostic accuracy. Quantitative analysis significantly further improves the diagnostic accuracy of MDCT but not that of MR.