Perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance as the first-line technique in patients with stable chest pain

Perfusion imaging with cardiovascular magnetic resonance is a noninvasive test free of ionizing radiation recommended by the latest European Society of Cardiology guidelines as one of the functional tests for coronary artery disease (CAD) detection. It has been demonstrated in numerous studies that perfusion imaging with cardiovascular magnetic resonance is highly accurate, provide strong prognostic data, and reduce the number of unnecessary invasive angiographies in patients with stable chest pain. Implementation of this method as the firstline technique in patients with stable chest pain provides an important refinement of the current concept for the assessment of CAD and in a unique way extends the diagnostic workup beyond simply ruling in or out myocardial ischemia.