Arterial pseudostenosis on first-pass gadolinium-enhanced three-dimensional MR angiography: new observation of a potential pitfall.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of apparent stenosis of normal aortic branches in patients on first-pass gadolinium-enhanced three-dimensional (3D) MR angiography and to reproduce the same phenomenon in a pulsatile flow phantom model.


CONCLUSIONS
Apparent stenosis of normal vessels on gadolinium-enhanced 3D MR angiography seen on the first-pass acquisition was observed in only a small proportion (approximately 2%) of our patients. The pseudostenosis was reproducible in the phantom model using rapid injection. A stenosis on first-pass images should be interpreted with caution. Confirmation of the findings on other sequences, such as the second-pass gadolinium-enhanced 3D MR angiography or 3D phase-contrast MR angiography, prevented overdiagnosis of significant stenoses.
Chiowanich
P
P
Department of Radiologic Sciences, Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19129, USA.
Mitchell
D G
DG
Ortega
H V
HV
Mohamed
F
F
D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D005682:Gadolinium