High-resolution three-dimensional contrast-enhanced blood oxygenation level-dependent magnetic resonance venography of brain tumors at 3 Tesla: first clinical experience and comparison with 1.5 Tesla.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical potential of high-resolution 3D contrast-enhanced blood oxygenation level-dependent MR-Venography (CE-MRV) for primary brain tumors and metastases at 3 Tesla (T) in comparison to 1.5 T.


METHODS
Eighteen patients with brain tumors were examined using CE-MRV after application of a standard dose of MRI contrast agent (0.1 mmol/kg gadodiamide). CE-MRV is based on a high-resolution 3D flow-compensated gradient-echo sequence with long echo times that uses the contrast-enhanced blood oxygenation level-dependent effect. This technique was performed using the same volume coverage and acquisition time at both field strengths after performing standard imaging sequences.


RESULTS
The higher spatial resolution of CE-MRV at 3 T showed more details within and around tumors than at 1.5 T. Visibility was enhanced by stronger susceptibility weighting and higher intrinsic signal-to-noise at 3 T. Compared with standard imaging protocols, additional information characterized as tubular and nontubular hypointense structures were found within or around lesions on CE-MRV images.


CONCLUSIONS
Acquisition of CE-MRV data at 3 T enables spatial resolution to be increased within the same measurement time and with the same volume coverage compared with 1.5 T, thus providing more detailed information. The method may also show the potential to estimate oxygen supply of tumors, especially at high field strengths.
Barth
Markus
M
Department of Radiology, University and General Hospital Vienna, Austria. markus.bath@univie.ac.be
Nöbauer-Huhmann
Iris-Melanie
IM
Reichenbach
Jürgen R
JR
Mlynárik
Vladimir
V
Schöggl
Andreas
A
Matula
Christian
C
Trattnig
Siegfried
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D003287:Contrast Media; C064925:gadodiamide; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA