First-pass myocardial stress perfusion MRI using k-t BLAST at an open MR-system: initial results in comparison to FFR measurements

Background First-pass myocardial stress perfusion MR imaging (MRI) is routinely used for the detection of myocardial ischemia in patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease (CAD). Up to now, cardiac MRI stress testing had to be performed in a closed bore environment. To allow for MR stress perfusion in claustrophobic patients and to improve monitoring during stress examination and in critically ill patients an open MR platform seems desirable. Recently, an open 1.0T MRsystem with high gradient performance has been introduced, which may allow for first-pass myocardial stress perfusion in combination with fast data acquisition techniques such as k-t BLAST. Therefore, the aim of our study was to evaluate 1) feasibility of adenosine stress perfusion (ASP) MRI using k-t