Intraindividual comparison of contrast-enhanced MRI and unenhanced SSFP sequences of stenotic and non-stenotic pulmonary artery diameters.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the agreement of pulmonary artery diameters assessed with 3D contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) and a 2D balanced steady-state-free precession sequence (bSSFP) in non-stenotic and stenotic pulmonary arteries (PA).


METHODS
44 right and left PAs (30 non-stenotic and 14 stenotic) were examined in 23 consecutive patients by performing CE-MRA as well as bSSFP. Two independent readers determined the transverse diameters of the PA.


RESULTS
No significant difference in diameter measurements was found between CE-MRA and bSSFP (p = 0.8608 for the stenotic and p = 0.6208 for the non-stenotic PA). Bland-Altman analysis revealed good agreement between CE-MRA and bSSFP for both the non-stenotic (mean bias, 0.07 cm; with 95 % limits of agreement, ± 0.34 cm) and the stenotic (mean bias, 0.05 cm; with 95 % limits of agreement, ± 0.30 cm) PA.


CONCLUSIONS
bSSFP allows rapid and accurate determination of PA diameters without the use of ionizing radiation and the risk of contrast media-associated side-effects.
Groth
M
M
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg. groth.michael@googlemail.com
Henes
F O
FO
Bannas
P
P
Muellerleile
K
K
Adam
G
G
Regier
M
M
D000328:Adult; D003287:Contrast Media; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D015588:Observer Variation; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology*; D011666:Pulmonary Valve Stenosis / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013771:Tetralogy of Fallot / Q000473:pathology
D003287:Contrast Media