MR Imaging of Coronary Arteries and Plaques

Cardiac magnetic resonance offers the promise of radiation-free imaging of the coronary arteries, providing information with respect to luminal stenosis, plaque burden, high-risk plaque characteristics, and disease activity. In combination, this would provide a comprehensive, individualized assessment of coronary atherosclerosis that could be used to improve patient risk stratification and to guide treatment. However, the technical challenges involved with delivering upon this promise are considerable, requiring sophisticated approaches to both data acquisition and post-processing. In this review, we describe the current status of this technology, its capabilities, its limitations, and what will be required in the future to translate this technology into routine clinical practice.