title: [Peripheral MR angiography without contrast agent using fresh blood imaging (FBI) with ECG-trigger: initial experience].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the efficacy of fresh blood imaging (FBI) in detecting vascular diseases in lower extremity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six patients suspected of having lower extremity vascular diseases were imaged with a 1.5-T MRI system (Toshiba Excelart Vantage). Contrast-enhanced MRA (CEMRA) and FBI technology, with maximum intensity projection (MIP) reconstruction were adopted to visualize lower extremity vascular. Signal to noise ratios (SNR) were measured on the FBI and CEMRA images. Two experienced radiologists assessed the imaging quality of peripheral artery MRA on MIP reconstructed images.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients successfully underwent both FBI and CEMRA. All arterial segments were obtained in the 36 patients. The SNR values on FBI and CEMRA were 108.39 +/- 9.76 and 87.46 +/- 14.77 (t = - 6.782, P = 0.001), respectively. There were no significant differences in the overall image quality, arterial anatomy and venous overlap (chi2 = 0.004, P = 0.947; chi2 = 0.000, P = 1; chi2 = 0.681, P = 0.409). The CEMRA motion artifacts were less than FBI (chi2 = 8.744, P = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FBI technique, which shows the vascular disease in lower extremity without contrast medium with ECG gating, is considered clinically useful.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Chun-Chao
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Zhen-Lin
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jia-Yu
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Chang-Xian
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: He-Han
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*