A scan based on magnetic resonance imaging is proving to be a useful alternative to conventional methods for diagnosing heart problems.

The usual technique for diagnosing blocked arteries that are the cause of heart disease involves injecting a dye into the vessels and then taking X-rays. But researchers at Harvard Medical School have learned that using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) gives results that are as good.

They looked at 109 patients, in the US and Europe, that were scheduled for a conventional test, giving them an MRI scan in addition. The new imaging technique, which does not involve any injections, was 72 per cent accurate in diagnosis of heart disease. The accuracy rose to 87 per cent when it came to looking at three-vessel or left main artery disease. What's more, the MRI technique was 81 per cent accurate in ruling out any form of heart disease and 100 per cent accurate in eliminating three-vessel or left main artery disease.

The findings suggest that MRI could well be a useful alternative to alternative methods for diagnosing heart disease. For the patient, it's good because it takes only 20 minutes, compared to several hours for conventional methods. And it does not require an injection of material to make the X-ray visible.

Source

New England Journal of Medicine December 27 2001