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Is stress CMR better than cardiac MRI with contrast?

This Premium Q&A, reviewed and published, features a real conversation between an iCliniq user and a physician.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I am 50 years old and had a cardiac MRI with dark blood, bright cone blood, and delayed enhancement images using gadoterate contrast. My doctor told me that this is a great test to rule out coronary artery disease. The only thing is, it was not a stress MRI. He mentioned that the coronary arteries looked good and predicted a positive result if a stress test were performed. Do you agree with this? Everything on the test appeared to be normal.

Please advise.
Answered by Dr. Ilir Sharka

Education:

Faculty of Medicine

Professional Bio:

Dr. Ilir Sharka is a Cardiologist. He can diagnose and manage heart diseases such as coronary artery disease and heart failure. He can interpret ECG, echocardiography, and stress tests. He can help in hypertension management and lipid control. He can treat arrhythmias and conduction disorders. He also does interventional procedures, including angioplasty and stenting (where applicable). He can help in heart valve disease assessment and management. He can provide preventive cardiology and risk factor modification.

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Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Your doctor is correct. Stress CMR (cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging) is highly sensitive and specific for detecting cardiac ischemia. Furthermore, it is the test of choice for cardiac morpho-functional studies and tissue characterization.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

Thank you for the reply.

This test was not a stress test; it was the standard cardiac MRI with contrast, but not a stress MRI. He said it was just as good and predicted a normal stress test because the results were very favorable.

Answered by Dr. Ilir Sharka

Education:

Faculty of Medicine

Professional Bio:

Dr. Ilir Sharka is a Cardiologist. He can diagnose and manage heart diseases such as coronary artery disease and heart failure. He can interpret ECG, echocardiography, and stress tests. He can help in hypertension management and lipid control. He can treat arrhythmias and conduction disorders. He also does interventional procedures, including angioplasty and stenting (where applicable). He can help in heart valve disease assessment and management. He can provide preventive cardiology and risk factor modification.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Consult other doctors in the same speciality

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Even if stress is not utilized, the information provided by CMR is sufficient to rule out significant cardiac issues. There are early cardiac sequences after contrast administration that can provide valuable data regarding myocardial perfusion and potential cardiac ischemia. The fact that your CMR results are normal is quite reassuring for a healthy heart. So, relax and do not worry about the potential issue of cardiac ischemia. Let me know if you have any further questions.

Regards.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Nithila. A
Published At July 23, 2019
Reviewed At November 22, 2024

Education:

Faculty of Medicine

Professional Bio:

Dr. Ilir Sharka is a Cardiologist. He can diagnose and manage heart diseases such as coronary artery disease and heart failure. He can interpret ECG, echocardiography, and stress tests. He can help in hypertension management and lipid control. He can treat arrhythmias and conduction disorders. He also does interventional procedures, including angioplasty and stenting (where applicable). He can help in heart valve disease assessment and management. He can provide preventive cardiology and risk factor modification.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Consult other doctors in the same speciality

Education:

BDS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Nithila A is a Dental Surgeon specializing in providing comprehensive oral healthcare. She focuses on preventive care, routine dental treatments, and patient education to maintain optimal oral health. Known for her compassionate and patient-centered approach, she ensures comfortable and effective dental care tailored to the individual needs of each patient.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Consult other doctors in the same speciality

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Ilir Sharka
Dr. Ilir Sharka

Cardiology

Consult this doctor

Education:

Faculty of Medicine

Professional Bio:

Dr. Ilir Sharka is a Cardiologist. He can diagnose and manage heart diseases such as coronary artery disease and heart failure. He can interpret ECG, echocardiography, and stress tests. He can help in hypertension management and lipid control. He can treat arrhythmias and conduction disorders. He also does interventional procedures, including angioplasty and stenting (where applicable). He can help in heart valve disease assessment and management. He can provide preventive cardiology and risk factor modification.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Consult other doctors in the same speciality
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