Whole-body 3D MR angiography of patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease.
OBJECTIVE
We assessed the diagnostic performance of whole-body 3D contrast-enhanced MR angiography in comparison with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) of the lower extremities in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Fifty-one patients with clinically documented peripheral arterial occlusive disease referred for DSA of the lower extremity arterial system underwent whole-body MR angiography on a 1.5-T MR scanner. Paramagnetic gadobutrol was administered and five contiguous stations were acquired with 3D T1-weighted gradient-echo sequences in a total scanning time of 72 sec. DSA was available as a reference standard for the peripheral vasculature in all patients. Separate blinded data analyses were performed by two radiologists. Additional vascular disease detected by whole-body MR angiography was subsequently assessed on sonography, dedicated MR angiography, or both.


RESULTS
All whole-body MR angiography examinations were feasible and well tolerated. AngioSURF-based whole-body MR angiography had overall sensitivities of 92.3% and 93.1% (both 95% confidence intervals [CIs], 78-100%) with specificities of 89.2% and 87.6% (both CIs, 84-98%) and excellent interobserver agreement (kappa = 0.82) for the detection of high-grade stenoses. Additional vascular disease was detected in 12 patients (23%).


CONCLUSIONS
Whole-body MR angiography permits a rapid, noninvasive, and accurate evaluation of the lower peripheral arterial system in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease, and it may allow identification of additional relevant vascular disease that was previously undetected.
Herborn
Christoph U
CU
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, Essen 45122, Germany. christoph.herborn@uni-essen.de
Goyen
Mathias
M
Quick
Harald H
HH
Bosk
Silke
S
Massing
Sandra
S
Kroeger
Knut
K
Stoesser
Dirk
D
Ruehm
Stefan G
SG
Debatin
Jörg F
JF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016037:Single-Blind Method