title: Noncontrast magnetic resonance angiography of the hand: improved arterial conspicuity by multidirectional flow-sensitive dephasing magnetization preparation in 3D balanced steady-state free precession imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  : To develop a flow-sensitive dephasing (FSD) preparative scheme to facilitate multidirectional flow-signal suppression in 3-dimensional balanced steady-state free precession imaging and to validate the feasibility of the refined sequence for noncontrast magnetic resonance angiography (NC-MRA) of the hand.
  
  
  METHODS
  : A new FSD preparative scheme was developed that combines 2 conventional FSD modules. Studies using a flow phantom (gadolinium-doped water 15 cm/s) and the hands of 11 healthy volunteers (6 males and 5 females) were performed to compare the proposed FSD scheme with its conventional counterpart with respect to the signal suppression of multidirectional flow. In 9 of the 11 healthy subjects and 2 patients with suspected vasculitis and documented Raynaud phenomenon, respectively, 3-dimensional balanced steady-state free precession imaging coupled with the new FSD scheme was compared with spatial-resolution-matched (0.94 × 0.94 × 0.94 mm) contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (0.15 mmol/kg gadopentetate dimeglumine) in terms of overall image quality, venous contamination, motion degradation, and arterial conspicuity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  : The proposed FSD scheme was able to suppress 2-dimensional flow signal in the flow phantom and hands and yielded significantly higher arterial conspicuity scores than the conventional scheme did on NC-MRA at the regions of common digitals and proper digitals. Compared with contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography, the refined NC-MRA technique yielded comparable overall image quality and motion degradation, significantly less venous contamination, and significantly higher arterial conspicuity score at digital arteries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  : The FSD-based NC-MRA technique is improved in the depiction of multidirectional flow by applying a 2-module FSD preparation, which enhances its potential to serve as an alternative magnetic resonance angiography technique for the assessment of hand vascular abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Zhaoyang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Philip A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Hodnett
authors.forename: Amir H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Davarpanah
authors.forename: Timothy G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Scanlon
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Sheehan
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Varga
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Carr
authors.forename: Debiao
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006225:Hand / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019786:Gadolinium DTPA