Continuously moving table aorto-iliofemoral run-off contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography: image quality analysis in comparison to the multistep acquisition.
BACKGROUND
Optimal vessel contrast is a prerequisite for vascular imaging. Consecutive stationary imaging of multiple fields of view is contrary to the continuous contrast material passage through the vascular tree. A continuous acquisition of a magnetic resonance (MR) sequence might overcome this limitation.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the image quality of a continuously moving table (CMT) acquisition compared with the established multistep approach for contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) of the aorto-iliofemoral run-off.


METHODS
Institutional review board approved this retrospective interindividual study of 60 consecutive patients referred to CE-MRA for peripheral arterial disease. Thirty patients underwent CE-MRA using the routine multistep acquisition and 30 patients were scanned using the CMT technique at 1.5 Tesla. All patients received a fixed contrast dose of 25 mL gadoterate meglumine. A quantitative analysis was performed to assess the relative contrast of 10 vascular segments from the proximal abdominal aorta to the distal calf arteries. A qualitative evaluation of three separate vascular regions (abdomen and pelvis, thighs, and calves) was performed. Two radiologists graded independently arterial vessel conspicuity, venous contamination, presence of artifacts, and diagnostic confidence on a 4-point scale. Overall scan time, including all localizer scans, was recorded. Statistical differences were tested using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test with Bonferroni correction.


RESULTS
No significant differences were found between the continuously moving table acquisition and the multistep acquisition with regard to the relative vascular contrast and the qualitative image criteria. The agreement between both readers was significant (Kendall tau rank correlation coefficient, 0.373). The absolute reader agreement was 71.4%. The mean overall scan time was 12 min 44 s for the CMT protocol and 21 min 41 s for the multistep protocol.


CONCLUSIONS
Aorto-iliofemoral run-off CE-MRA acquired with CMT technique provides a high image quality equivalent to a multistep technique at an overall scan time reduction of 41.3%.
University of Louisville Department of Radiology, Louisville, KY, USA.
Patrick
P
Asbach
Michael D
MD
Meade
Ronald J
RJ
Sattenberg
Christian
C
Klessen
Alexander
A
Huppertz
Jens O
JO
Heidenreich
D001012:Aorta, Abdominal; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery; D006801:Humans; D007083:Iliac Artery; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; C072417:gadoterate meglumine
Adults; MR angiography; arteries; arteriosclerosis; vascular