Prasad Sanjay K, Soukias Nikolaos, Hornung Timothy, Khan Mohammed, Pennell Dudley J, Gatzoulis Michael A, Mohiaddin Raad H
Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
Circulation. 2004 Jan 20;109(2):207-14. doi: 10.1161/01.CIR.0000107842.29467.C5. Epub 2004 Jan 12.
Accurate diagnosis of major aortopulmonary collaterals (MAPCAs) and partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage (PAPVD) in adult patients with congenital heart disease is important but problematic. Three-dimensional contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) provides a minimally invasive technique to allow detailed studies in a single breath-hold.
We assessed the role of contrast-enhanced 3D MRA in 29 consecutive adult patients with a diagnosis of MAPCAs (n=16) or PAPVD (n=13) made by echocardiogram, cardiac catheterization, or surgical inspection. MRA was performed with a 3D spoiled gradient-echo technique with intravenous gadolinium-DTPA (0.2 mmol/kg). In both types of pathology, there was excellent correlation between MRA and the cardiac catheterization, echocardiogram, or surgical inspection. Additional information was gained for patients with MAPCAs on confluence and size of pulmonary arteries (n=13 had central arteries), pulmonary artery stenosis (n=3), aneurysmal dilatation of pulmonary artery (n=1), and additional anomalous vascular abnormality (n=3). Shunt assessment, where present (9 of 16), showed patency in all cases (100%). For adults with PAPVD, further information was obtained on drainage origin (n=11). There were no complications.
Contrast-enhanced 3D MRA provides a fast, noninvasive, radiation-free method of accurate and comprehensive diagnosis of MAPCAs and PAPVD in adult patients.
