Contrast-enhanced 3D MRA using SENSE.
Sensitivity encoding (SENSE) was used to improve the performance of three-dimensional contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (3D CE-MRA). Utilizing an array of receiver coils for sensitivity encoding, the encoding efficiency of gradient-echo imaging was increased by factors of up to three. The feasibility of the approach was demonstrated for imaging of the abdominal vasculature. On the one hand, using a SENSE reduction factor of two, the spatial resolution of a breath-hold scan of 17 seconds was improved to 1.0 x 2.0 x 2.0 mm(3). On the other hand, using threefold reduction, time-resolved 3D CE-MRA was performed with a true temporal resolution of 4 seconds, at a spatial resolution of 1.6 x 2.1 x 4.0 mm(3). CE-MRA with SENSE was performed in healthy volunteers and patients and compared with a standard protocol. Throughout, diagnostic quality images were obtained, showing the ability of sensitivity encoding to enhance spatial and/or temporal resolution considerably in clinical angiographic examinations.
Weiger
M
M
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
Pruessmann
K P
KP
Kassner
A
A
Roditi
G
G
Lawton
T
T
Reid
A
A
Boesiger
P
P
D000368:Aged; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D012016:Reference Values; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D003287:Contrast Media