title: Assessment of the abdominal aorta and its visceral branches by contrast-enhanced dynamic volumetric hepatic parallel magnetic resonance imaging: feasibility, reliability and accuracy.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new three-dimensional gradient-echo (GRE) MR sequence performed with a parallel acquisition technique to shorten breath-hold times (parallel GRE MRI) in the detection of arterial variants and stenosis of the abdominal aorta and its visceral branches. A total of 102 patients underwent dynamic parallel GRE MRI, timed to the arterial phase by a test bolus (mean breath-hold time, 17 s). For both quantitative and qualitative analysis, the abdominal aorta and its visceral branches were divided into 13 arterial segments. In a subanalysis of 55/102 patients, the accuracy of parallel GRE MRI compared to MDCT in the detection arterial variants and stenosis was calculated for two independent readers. Mean SNRs and CNRs were 47.2 and 35.6, respectively. Image quality was rated good or excellent in 1,234/1,326 segments (93%). Hepatic and renal arterial variants were identified with an accuracy of 93 and 95%, respectively (reader 1) and 98 and 100%, respectively (reader 2). Both readers detected arterial stenosis with an accuracy of 98%. Interobserver agreement was good to excellent for the detection of hepatic (kappa=0.69) and renal (kappa=0.92) variants and for the diagnosis of stenosis (kappa=0.96). Dynamic three-dimensional parallel GRE MRI is feasible and allows a reliable and accurate diagnosis of arterial variants and stenosis of the abdominal aorta and its visceral branches in a short breath-hold-time.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Werder
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nanz
authors.forename: Amelie M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weishaupt
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McCormack
authors.forename: Burkhardt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Seifert
authors.forename: Borut
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marincek
authors.forename: Jürgen K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Willmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013557:Switzerland; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014781:Viscera / Q000098:blood supply*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media