Intraarterial contrast-enhanced MR aortography with and without parallel acquisition technique in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease.
OBJECTIVE
Repeated intraarterial gadolinium injections are necessary in endovascular MRI-guided interventions; therefore a low-dose protocol with a short acquisition time is preferable. The purpose of this study was to conduct a quantitative comparison of intraarterial MR aortograms obtained with and without high-speed parallel acquisition technique.


METHODS
Intraarterial MR aortography was performed at 1.5 T on nine patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease and in an aortic phantom with pulsatile flow. A 3D fast low-angle shot MRI sequence was used for standard technique (acquisition time, 20 seconds) and for parallel acquisition technique (acquisition time, 14 seconds). In all patients, a pigtail catheter was left in the suprarenal position after digital subtraction angiography. Contrast-enhanced intraarterial MR aortography was performed after automated injection of 50 mmol/L gadoterate dimeglumine at an injection rate of 4 mL/s. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and image quality were evaluated in both imaging series at different locations. In an aortic phantom with pulsatile flow, CNR was determined 1, 30, and 60 cm distal to the catheter tip with standard and parallel acquisition techniques.


RESULTS
In all patients, intraarterial MR aortography was feasible with both acquisition techniques. No significant difference in CNR or image quality was observed in the patient study. Similar results were calculated for the pulsatile aortic flow phantom at all locations.


CONCLUSIONS
Intraarterial MR aortography is feasible with parallel acquisition technique without a significant loss of CNR. This technique reduces contrast agent consumption approximately 30% owing to an approximately 30% reduction in acquisition time.
Potthast
Silke
S
Institute of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031 Basel, Switzerland. spotthast@uhbs.ch
Bongartz
Georg M
GM
Huegli
Rolf
R
Schulte
Anja-Carina
AC
Schwarz
Jochen G
JG
Aschwanden
Markus
M
Bilecen
Deniz
D
D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology*; D001027:Aortography / Q000379:methods; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D007269:Injections, Intra-Arterial; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D003287:Contrast Media; D005682:Gadolinium