Three-dimensional black-blood MR imaging of carotid arteries with segmented steady-state free precession: initial experience.
This HIPAA-compliant study had institutional review board approval. Informed consent was obtained. The purpose was to prospectively evaluate a segmented three-dimensional (3D) double inversion recovery (DIR)-prepared steady-state free precession (SSFP) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequence for fast high-spatial-resolution black-blood carotid arterial wall imaging. Carotid wall-lumen contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) obtained with this sequence was compared with those obtained with two-dimensional (2D) single- and multisection black-blood fast spin-echo (SE) sequences. MR imaging of both carotid artery bifurcations over 3 cm of transverse coverage was performed in eight volunteers (seven men, one woman; age range, 26-56 years) with no known history of carotid artery disease. Adjusted for section thickness and imaging time per section, higher effective mean CNR was achieved with segmented 3D DIR-prepared SSFP than with single-section 2D DIR-prepared fast SE or multisection 2D saturation-band fast SE (P < .05). Segmented 3D DIR-prepared SSFP enables black-blood carotid arterial wall MR imaging with contiguous thin-section coverage and greater imaging speed and effective CNR than conventional 2D fast SE techniques.
Koktzoglou
Ioannis
I
Department of Radiology, Division of Vascular Surgery, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. ioannis.koktzoglou@gmail.com
Chung
Yiu-Cho
YC
Carroll
Timothy J
TJ
Simonetti
Orlando P
OP
Morasch
Mark D
MD
Li
Debiao
D
D000328:Adult; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA