title: Whole-body MR angiography using a novel 32-receiving-channel MR system with surface coil technology: first clinical experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate the feasibility of detecting atherosclerotic vascular disease using an innovative magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) protocol in combination with a dedicated whole-body MR scanner with new surface coil technology.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 10 volunteers and eight patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) were examined at 1.5 T. Conventional digital subtraction angiography (DSA) of the symptomatic region was available as a reference standard in all eight patients. Depending on subjects' size, four to five three-dimensional data sets were acquired using an adapted injection protocol. Images were assessed independently by two readers for vascular pathology. Additionally, signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Whole-body MRA yielded excellent sensitivity and specificity of more than 95% for both readers with high interobserver agreement (k = 0.93). Surface coil signal reception rendered a high SNR (mean 151.28 +/- 54.04) and CNR (mean 120.75 +/- 46.47). Despite lower SNR and CNR of the cranial and cervical vessels, a two-step injection protocol exhibited less venous superposition and therefore proved to be superior compared to single-bolus injection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our approach provides accurate noninvasive high-resolution imaging of systemic atherosclerotic disease, covering the arterial vasculature from intracranial arteries to distal runoff vessels. The recently introduced MR scanner and coil technology is feasible to significantly increase the performance of whole-body MRA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Eberhard-Karls-University, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany. michael.fenchel@med.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fenchel
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Requardt
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tomaschko
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Norbert I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Stauder
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Naegele
authors.forename: Heinz-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Schlemmer
authors.forename: Claus D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Claussen
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003287:Contrast Media; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media