Fig. 1

Aortic diameter measurements: Parasagittal (a) non-contrast 2D bSSFP and (b) 3D CE-CMRA of a 37-year-old woman with Marfan syndrome 5 years after valve-sparing aortic root replacement (David procedure). White lines indicate the seven measurement levels along the aorta. From proximal to distal: i) middle of the aortic root graft, ii) distal anastomosis of the graft, iii) ascending aorta at the level of the pulmonary trunk, iv) mid aortic arch, v) descending aorta at the level of the pulmonary trunk, vi) aorta at the level of the diaphragm, and vii) aorta proximal to the celiac trunk. Both readers rated the image quality and artifact level as 4 points (best quality and no diagnosis interfering artifacts, respectively) for both bSSFP and CE-CMRA. However, note the presence of artifacts caused by sternal cerclages in both examinations (white arrows)