Non-contrast 3.0T coronary magnetic resonance angiography: Image quality comparison of coronal balanced-turbo-field-echo, axial turbo-field-echo, and modified-Dixon sequences

Table 4 Quantitative image quality metrics and mean acquisition time for balanced turbo field echo, turbo field echo, and modified Dixon sequences, mean ± SD

Parameter	BTFE	TFE	mDixon	Intergroups P value1	P value (adjusted P value)2	P value (adjusted P value)3	P value (adjusted P value)4
SNR
LM	145.0 ± 12.9	88.68 ± 8.2	109.4 ± 12.2	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
LAD-pro	139.7 ± 13.6	83.2 ± 7.9	109.4 ± 12.6	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
LCX-pro	137.2 ± 14.5	80.4 ± 6.3	104.8 ± 12.5	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
RCA-pro	135.4 ± 8.4	73.3 ± 9.2	94.3 ± 12.0	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
CNR	-	-	-	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
LM	83.7 ± 13.6	30.7 ± 6.4	50.2 ± 10.6	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
LAD-pro	78.2 ± 12.4	25.1 ± 5.8	50.1 ± 11.7	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
LCX-pro	75.7 ± 14.0	22.2 ± 7.1	45.5 ± 14.0	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
RCA-pro	74.1 ± 12.1	15.4 ± 6.7	35.1 ± 8.6	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
VES5	-	-	-	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
LM	257.3 ± 31.0	150.2 ± 19.3	80.5 ± 14.0	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
LAD-pro	266.1 ± 34.9	149.6 ± 14.2	82.1 ± 10.8	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
LCX-pro	276.6 ± 33.9	141.1 ± 13.0	76.9 ± 7.4	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
RCA-pro	284.1 ± 35.8	143.4 ± 13.5	79.7 ± 9.8	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
Vessel length (mm)
LAD	126 ± 10	114 ± 17	118 ± 17	< 0.001	< 0.001	0.016	0.017
LCX	77 ± 10	75 ± 8	76 ± 9	0.002	0.017	0.074	0.459
RCA	122 ± 7	120 ± 7	121 ± 7	< 0.001	0.002	0.043	0.038
Acquisition time (minute)	6.13 ± 1.00	7.15 ± 2.02	7.17 ± 1.72	0.015	0.025	0.035	1.000

¹The one-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare characteristics among balanced turbo field echo, turbo field echo, and modified Dixon.

²Balanced turbo field echo vs turbo field echo.

³Balanced turbo field echo vs modified Dixon.

⁴Turbo field echo vs modified Dixon.

⁵Vessel edge sharpness was computed as the maximum normalized gradient of the signal-intensity profile perpendicular to the vessel wall, using a gradient-based algorithm implemented in Matrix Laboratory (R2019a; MathWorks).

SNR: Signal-to-noise ratio; CNR: Contrast-to-noise ratio; VES: Vessel edge sharpness; BTFE: Balanced turbo field echo; TFE: Turbo field echo; mDixon: Modified Dixon; LM: Left main artery; LAD: Left anterior descending artery; LCX: Left circumflex artery; RCA: Right coronary artery; LAD-pro: Proximal left anterior descending artery; LCX-pro: Proximal left circumflex artery; RCA-pro: Proximal right coronary artery.