title: Unenhanced magnetic resonance portography using repetitive arterial or vein labeling method at 3.0-T.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to determine whether unenhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography using repetitive arterial or vein labeling (RAVEL) is feasible to visualize effectively the intrahepatic portal vein (PV) at 3.0 T.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients underwent liver MR imaging (MRI) with unenhanced MR portography using RAVEL. Two radiologists performed a consensus review of unenhanced MR portography and portal-phase MRI with regard to anatomic type of PV, vessel conspicuity, and image quality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For determination of the anatomic type of PV, the 2 techniques were equivalent. There were tendencies toward increased conspicuity for right segmental PV and its branches with unenhanced MR portography and for left PV with conventional MRI, although significant differences were not found between MRIs (P > 0.05). Image quality for unenhanced MR portography was poor in 1, moderate in 8, and good in 31 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unenhanced MR portography using RAVEL at 3.0 T is feasible and provides effective visualization of intrahepatic PV.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital; †Department of Radiology and Center for Imaging Science, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine; and ‡Department of Radiology, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jiyoung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Young Kon
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Won Jae
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dongil
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Min Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hyun Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Seong Sook
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Mi Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D006503:Hepatic Veins / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011172:Portography / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013113:Spin Labels; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D013113:Spin Labels