Peripheral MR angiography: separation of arteries from veins with flow-spoiled gradient pulses in electrocardiography-triggered three-dimensional half-Fourier fast spin-echo imaging.
The authors evaluated a nonenhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiographic technique that allows separation of arteries from veins. In 15 healthy subjects, peripheral MR angiography was performed with readout flow-spoiled gradient pulses in electrocardiography-triggered three-dimensional half-Fourier fast spin-echo MR imaging. Appropriate flow-spoiled gradient pulses were measured and applied in the three-dimensional acquisition to differentiate arteries and veins in the peripheral vasculature. Subtraction of the diastolic bright-blood arteries from the systolic black-blood arteries allowed visualization of the arteries by cancelling the veins, which are constantly depicted as bright blood throughout the cardiac cycle. Stronger flow-spoiled gradient pulses improved the depiction of slow-flow arteries even in the distal foot and hand vessels.
Miyazaki
Mitsue
M
MR Imaging Department, Toshiba Medical Research and Development Center, 1385 Shimoishigami, Otawara-city, Tochigi 324-8550, Japan. miyazaki@mr.nasu.toshiba.co.jp
Takai
Hiroshi
H
Sugiura
Satoshi
S
Wada
Hirofumi
H
Kuwahara
Rie
R
Urata
Joji
J
D000328:Adult; D001158:Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D014680:Veins / Q000033:anatomy & histology