Prospective comparison of MR phase-contrast velocimetry with intravascular doppler US during infrainguinal artery angioplasty.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the accuracy of magnetic resonance (MR) velocimetry for quantitative assessment of stenosis in patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA).


METHODS
Thirty patients underwent PTA of the infrainguinal region. To assess hemodynamic parameters of lesions, MR phase-contrast velocimetry with a circular-polarized extremity receiver coil and a cardiac gated gradient echo sequence was conducted before and 1 day after PTA. Additionally, all lesions were examined by means of intravascular Doppler flow measurements (0.018-inch wire, 12 MHz). From these data, the degree of stenosis was calculated and a comparison of MR velocimetry with intravascular Doppler US was undertaken.


RESULTS
Correlation between calculated grade of stenosis for MR velocimetry and intravascular Doppler US was good and significant (r = 0.74; P <.001). Calculated luminal stenosis grade were similar for both methods before PTA (intravascular Doppler US: 0.62 +/- 0.18, MR velocimetry: 0.54 +/- 0.19; P =.17 with paired Student t-test) and after PTA (0.25 +/- 0.23 and 0.3 +/- 0.2, respectively; P =.56).


CONCLUSIONS
MR velocimetry results in reliable noninvasive in vivo flow measurements and allows accurate assessment of stenosis in a clinical setting.
Alfke
H
H
Department of Radiology, University Hospital, Philipps University, Baldingerstrasse, 35043 Marburg, Germany. alfke@mailer.uni-marburg.de
Heverhagen
J T
JT
Bandorski
D
D
Hoppe
M
M
Wagner
H J
HJ
D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D017130:Angioplasty; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007264:Inguinal Canal / Q000098:blood supply*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012212:Rheology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional