Bolus arterial-venous transit in the lower extremity and venous contamination in bolus chase three-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the phenomena and causes for undesired venous signal in the distal station of bolus chase 3D MRA.


METHODS
Consecutive patients (in 8 months) undergoing peripheral MRA consisting of 2D projection MRA of the tibial trifurcation and 3D bolus chase MRA were retrospectively evaluated. Venous contamination in mid-calf in bolus chase 3D MRA was correlated to the arterial phase duration, the time between the contrast bolus arrival and venous return measured on time resolved 2D images. Statistical analyses were performed to identify the clinical parameters indicative of venous contamination.


RESULTS
The arterial phase durations at the mid-calf were 49 +/- 8 seconds on 101 legs without venous signal in the bolus chase 3D MRA, 35 +/- 9 seconds on 13 legs with moderate venous signal, and 20 +/- 4 seconds on 40 legs with substantial venous signal; the differences were significant among different venous signal levels (P < 0.001 for all pairs). Legs with cellulitis had shorter arterial phase and more venous contamination than legs without cellulitis (P < 0.05). Patients with myocardial infarction had longer arterial phase and less venous contamination than patients without myocardial infarction (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Venous signal in the distal calf station of bolus chase 3D peripheral MRA is caused by fast arterial-venous transit. It is worse in legs with cellulitis and less in patients with a history of myocardial infarction.
Department of Radiology and the Department of Vascular Surgery, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, USA. wangy3@msx.upnc.edu
Yi
Y
Wang
Catherine Z
CZ
Chen
Shalini G
SG
Chabra
Priscilla A
PA
Winchester
Neil M
NM
Khilnani
Richard
R
Watts
Harry L
HL
Bush
K Craig
KC
Kent
Martin R
MR
Prince
D000368:Aged; D002481:Cellulitis / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies