Anatomical assessment of intrathoracic cardiovascular anatomy using fast spin-echo double inversion recovery and steady-state free precession magnetic resonance imaging in a normal cat

In this study, using non-contrast CMRI, we provide a thorough description of the normal appearance of the intrathoracic cardiovascular structures in one healthy cat using a magnet operating at a field of 1.5-Tesla. The CMRI protocol was based on the use of fast spin-echo double inversion recovery (FSE-DIR) and steady-state free precession (SSFP) pulse sequences in oblique short axis, vertical long axis and horizontal long axis imaging planes. After imaging the feline heart, four cadaver cats injected with latex substance into their arterial and venous systems were sectioned to facilitate interpretation of the intrathoracic cardiovascular structures to the corresponding CMRI. The FSE-DIR images showed the best evaluation of gross intrathoracic anatomy, giving excellent contrast of the myocardium and vessels walls as they appeared with intermediate signal intensity compared to the lumen that appeared with low signal intensity. By contrast, SSFP images showed details of the heart cavities and vascular lumen due to the high signal intensity of fast-flowing blood. The results of this study provide some anatomic detail for the heart and associated vessels as seen by non-contrast CMRI in the domestic cat.
Source: Journal of Veterinary Cardiology - Category: Veterinary Research Source Type: research