Three-dimensional black blood MR angiography of the liver during breath holding. A comparison with two-dimensional time-of-flight MR angiography.
In 2-D time-of-flight MR angiography (2-D TOF MRA) of the liver, artifacts caused by respiratory motion are unavoidable. Therefore, a 3-D black blood MRA of the liver was attempted in 7 healthy volunteers, using a 3-D gradient echo sequence which allows imaging during breath holding. 2-D TOF MRA was performed as well. In all subjects, 3-D MRA allowed visualization of the trunk, 1st-, and 2nd-order branches of the portal vein without interruption. Right 3rd-order branches were visualized without interruption in 6 of 7 subjects (85%). However, with 2-D MRA, the transverse portion of the left main portal vein could not be visualized in any subject, and the periphery of the portal vein was less clear than with 3-D MRA.
Suto
Y
Y
Department of Radiology, Tottori University School of Medicine, Yonago, and Siemens-Asahi Medical Technologies LTD., Tokyo, Japan.
Ohuchi
Y
Y
Kimura
T
T
Shirakawa
T
T
Mizuuchi
N
N
Takizawa
O
O
Yamane
T
T
Kamba
M
M
Moriyama
S
S
Ohta
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D012119:Respiration / Q000502:physiology*