title: Non-enhanced ECG-gated respiratory-triggered 3-D steady-state free-precession MR angiography with slab-selective inversion: initial experience in visualisation of renal arteries in free-breathing children without renal artery abnormality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  ECG-gated non-enhanced balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) MR angiography requires neither breath-holding nor administration of contrast material.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the image quality of free-breathing ECG-gated non-enhanced bSSFP MR angiography of renal arteries in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen boys and seven girls (mean age, 9.7 years; range, 7 weeks-17 years) with no history of renovascular disease were included. MRI was performed at 1.5 T. Subjective image quality of axial and coronal maximum-intensity-projection reconstructions of four segments (I, aorta and renal artery ostium; II, main renal artery; III, segmental branches; IV, intrarenal vessels) was evaluated using a 4-point scale (4 = excellent, 3 = good, 2 = acceptable, 1 = non-diagnostic).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Image quality was excellent for segments I (mean ± SD, 3.9 ± 0.3) and II (4.0 ± 0.1), good for segment III (3.4 ± 0.9) and acceptable for segment IV (2.3 ± 1.1 ). Mean image quality did not differ between sedated and non-sedated children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  bSSFP MR angiography enables visualisation of renal arteries in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Klee
authors.forename: Rotem Shlomo
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Lanzman
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blondin
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Burak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Salgin
authors.forename: Ertan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mayatepek
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Antoch
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schaper
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D055424:Cardiac-Gated Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012078:Renal Artery Obstruction / Q000473:pathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics; D055425:Respiratory-Gated Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media