Dissecting aneurysm of the ascending aorta
Co-registration: using both CT and MRI to give information about the amount of blockage and damage to the heart muscle
Due to the increased demand for high-quality pre-revascularization (bypass surgery or angioplasty/stenting) planning, techniques are being developed to combine the data acquired by Coronary Computerized Tomographic Angiography (CTA) and the data regarding Myocardial Viability acquired by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
The coronary arteries are the vessels that supply the heart muscle (myocardium) with oxygenated blood. When coronary artery disease occurs, the myocardium may not receive adequate blood supply. CTA obtains a noninvasive "roadmap" of the coronary arteries, while MRI identifies areas of the myocardium not getting enough blood supply and in need of
revascularization. Based on the image co-registration of the CTA and MRI data, a spatial relationship can be directly established between the diseased coronary artery distribution and the myocardium at risk. With the advancement of these imaging modalities, patients may expect to realize improved pre-revascularization planning and reduced invasiveness of the diagnostic process.
LAD occlusion (collaterals)
MRI looking at myocardial contractility.
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