title: Timing of data acquisition determines image quality in femoropopliteal phase-sensitive MR angiography.
abstract: To study the effects of timing of data acquisition on quality of femoropopliteal magnetic resonance (MR) angiograms, the authors studied 16 healthy men, mean age 34.3 +/- 6 years, by color Doppler imaging and by phase-sensitive (PS) MR angiography. PS MR imaging was performed at 1.5T using a flow adjustable gradient (FLAG) pulse sequence. The images were graded in a blinded fashion by two independent observers. Of 16 MR angiograms consisting of 141 angiographic images (AI), 45 (31.9%) were diagnostic. At least 1 diagnostic AI was obtained in each subject, and 38 (84.4%) of the diagnostic images were acquired within the first 120 milli-seconds (ms) of the systolic flow pulse. The highest yield of diagnostic images (90.9%) was obtained in the interval of thirty to sixty ms before the peak flow velocity. In healthy man diagnostic PS MR angiography requires triggering to the femoropopliteal systolic flow pulse. The highest yield of diagnostic images is acquired during the flow pulse acceleration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lanzer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nanda
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pohost
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D013599:Systole; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography