Time-resolved contrast-enhanced MR angiography of intracranial lesions.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if contrast-enhanced (CE) MRI of intracranial lesions benefits from time-resolved MR angiography (MRA) during contrast agent injection.


METHODS
For 126 patients with suspected intracranial lesions undergoing routine CE MRI at 3.0T (N = 88) or 1.5T (N = 38), time-resolved CE MRA (three-dimensional [3D] time-resolved imaging of contrast kinetics [TRICKS]) was performed during injection of the routine gadolinium (Gd) dose of 0.1 mmol/kg. Time to peak (TTP) enhancement of lesions as well as time to internal carotid artery (ICA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), superior sagittal sinus (SSS), and jugular vein enhancement were measured. Source and maximum intensity projection (MIP) images were reviewed to delineate the spatial relationship of lesions and the vasculature.


RESULTS
In 61 patients (48%), additional important findings were detected on time-resolved MRA that were not seen on the routine CE protocol, including aneurysms (N = 6), arteriovenous malformations (N = 7), ICA stenoses (N = 2), vascular anomalies (N = 18), and relationships between lesions and vessels (N = 28). In addition, tumor TTP correlated with glioma grade (r = 0.87) and discriminated epithelial from nonepithelial meningiomas (P = 2.6 x 10(-5)). MRA added eight minutes to the total exam time.


CONCLUSIONS
Time-resolved MRA performed during contrast agent injection adds information to the routine brain CE MRI examination of intracranial lesions with only a small time penalty and no additional risk to the patient.
Zou
Zhitong
Z
Department of Radiology, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China.
Ma
Lin
L
Cheng
Liuquan
L
Cai
Youquan
Y
Meng
Xianghui
X
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D002538:Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000175:diagnosis; D007601:Jugular Veins / Q000473:pathology; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000473:pathology; D054063:Superior Sagittal Sinus / Q000473:pathology
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA