Lower extremities magnetic resonance angiography with blood pressure cuff compression: quantitative dynamic analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To quantitatively evaluate changes induced by the application of a femoral blood-pressure cuff (BPC) on run-off magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), which is a method generally previously proposed to reduce venous contamination in the leg.


METHODS
This study was Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)- and Institutional Review Board (IRB)-compliant. We used time-resolved gradient-echo gadolinium (Gd)-enhanced MRA to measure BPC effects on arterial, venous, and soft-tissue enhancement. Seven healthy volunteers (six men) were studied with the BPC applied at the mid-femoral level unilaterally using a 1.5 T MR system after intravenous injection of Gd-BOPTA. Different statistical tools were used such as the Wilcoxon signed rank test and a cubic smoothing spline fit.


RESULTS
We found that BPC application induces delayed venous filling (as previously described), but also induces significant decreases in arterial inflow, arterial enhancement, vascular-soft tissue contrast, and delayed peak enhancement (which have not been previously measured).


CONCLUSIONS
The potential benefits from using a BPC for run-off MRA must be balanced against the potential pitfalls, elucidated by our findings.
Koenigkam-Santos
Marcel
M
Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Sharma
Puneet
P
Kalb
Bobby
B
Carew
John
J
Oshinski
John N
JN
Martin
Diego
D
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D011312:Pressure; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C064572:gadobenic acid; D008536:Meglumine