Combined arterial and venous whole-body MR angiography with cardiac MR imaging in patients with thromboembolic disease--initial experience.
The objective was to assess the feasibility of a combined arterial and venous whole-body three-dimensional magnetic resonance (MR) angiography, together with a cardiac MR examination, in patients with arterial thromboembolism. Ten patients with arterial thromboembolism underwent a contrast-enhanced whole-body MR examination of the arterial and venous vessels, followed by a cardiac MR examination on a separate occasion within 24 h. All examinations were performed on a 1.5-T MR scanner. For both arterial and venous MR angiography only one injection of contrast agent was necessary. The cardiac imaging protocol included dark-blood-prepared half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo-spin-echo sequences, fast steady-state free precession cine sequences, T2-weighted turbo-spin-echo sequences and inversion recovery gradient-echo fast low-angle-shot sequences after injection of contrast agent. MR imaging revealed additional clinically unknown arterial thromboembolisms in four patients. The thoracic aorta was depicted as embolic source in four patients, while deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was found in one patient as the underlying disease. Unsuspected infarction of parenchymal organs was detected by MRI in two patients. An unknown additional DVT was found in one patient. Four patients were considered to have arterial emboli of cardiac origin. In conclusion, acquisition of arterial and venous MR angiograms of the entire vascular system combined with cardiac MR imaging is a most comprehensive and valuable strategy in patients with arterial thromboembolism.
Vogt
Florian M
FM
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45122 Essen, Germany. florian.vogt@uni-essen.de
Hunold
Peter
P
Herborn
Christoph U
CU
Ruehm
Stefan G
SG
Barkhausen
Joerg
J
Kroger
Knut
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D003287:Contrast Media; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000209:etiology*; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA