title: Detection of carotid artery stenosis: a comparison between 2 unenhanced MRAs and dual-source CTA.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Dual-source CTA and black-blood MRA are recently developed techniques for evaluating carotid stenosis. The purpose of this study was to compare dual-source CTA with black-blood MRA and conventional TOF MRA in both detecting carotid stenosis by using DSA as a reference standard and demonstrating plaque morphology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients with suspected carotid artery stenosis underwent unenhanced MRA by using black-blood and TOF MRA and dual-source CTA. Source images from unenhanced MRAs and dual-source CTA were reconstructed with MIP or curved planar reconstruction. The degree of carotid artery stenosis was measured, and plaque surface morphology at the stenosis was analyzed and compared among different techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Good correlation was observed for measuring the degree of carotid stenosis among dual-source CTA, black-blood MRA, TOF MRA, and DSA. Sensitivity and specificity for detecting severe stenosis were 100% and 97% with dual-source CTA, 100% and 95% with black-blood MRA, and 79% and 95% with TOF MRA. None of the 3 technologies resulted in stenosis of <50% being overestimated. Plaque surface irregularity or ulceration was more frequently detected with dual-source CTA and black-blood MRA than with TOF MRA and DSA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This preliminary study shows that black-blood MRA is a promising technique, comparable with dual-source CTA and DSA, but better than TOF MRA, in the evaluation of carotid stenosis. Unlike dual-source CTA, black-blood MRA requires no intravenous contrast or radiation.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology (P.L., J.L., H.L.), Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University and Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology (P.L., J.L., H.L.), Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University and Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, China lin.jiang@zs-hospital.sh.cn guo.daqiao@zs-hospital.sh.cn.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery (D.G., X.T.), Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University and Institute of Vascular Surgery, Shanghai, China lin.jiang@zs-hospital.sh.cn guo.daqiao@zs-hospital.sh.cn.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology (P.L., J.L., H.L.), Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University and Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery (D.G., X.T.), Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University and Institute of Vascular Surgery, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance (C.F.), Shenzhen, China.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology (J.H.), Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
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