title: 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.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University and General Hospital Vienna, Austria. markus.bath@univie.ac.be
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.forename: Iris-Melanie
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Nöbauer-Huhmann
authors.forename: Jürgen R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Reichenbach
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mlynárik
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schöggl
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matula
authors.forename: Siegfried
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trattnig
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; C064925:gadodiamide; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA