Pulmonary angiography with MR imaging: preliminary clinical experience.
OBJECTIVE
To study the accuracy of magnetic resonance (MR) pulmonary angiography in 20 patients in whom pulmonary embolism (PE) was clinically suspected.


METHODS
Fourteen patients (group 1) were recruited for the MR pulmonary angiography study before they underwent conventional pulmonary angiography (CPA) based on clinical findings. Six patients (group 2) did not undergo CPA but were considered to have PE on the basis of findings in other studies. MR venography was performed at the time of MR pulmonary angiography in 13 patients.


RESULTS
MR pulmonary angiography had a sensitivity of 92%-100% and specificity of 62% for detection of PE. Performance of MR pulmonary arteriography and MR venography in a single examination to demonstrate thrombus in both the arterial and deep venous systems was proved feasible.


CONCLUSIONS
This report describes an early clinical implementation of new MR pulmonary angiographic techniques. Further advances to improve specificity by enhancing sensitivity to slow flow and increasing spatial resolution are necessary before routine clinical use of MR pulmonary angiography is justified.
Grist
T M
TM
Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Madison.
Sostman
H D
HD
MacFall
J R
JR
Foo
T K
TK
Spritzer
C E
CE
Witty
L
L
Newman
G E
GE
Debatin
J F
JF
Tapson
V
V
Saltzman
H A
HA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000792:Angiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008168:Lung / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010690:Phlebography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed