Published in:
01-02-2011 | Vascular-Interventional
High-resolution 3D non-contrast-enhanced, ECG-gated, multi-step MR angiography of the lower extremities: Comparison with contrast-enhanced MR angiography
Published in: European Radiology | Issue 2/2011
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Objective
To determine the diagnostic value of non-contrast-enhanced, 3D-high-resolution, ECG-gated, multi-step MR angiography (non-ceMRA) of the lower extremities using a modified turbo-spin-echo technique in comparison to 1.0-molar contrast-enhanced MR angiography (ceMRA) in patients with suspected peripheral vascular disease (PVD).
Methods
Fifty consecutive patients underwent non-ceMRA before ceMRA within the same session. We assessed examination time, image quality, localisation and severity of stenosis.
Results
Examination time was shorter for ceMRA (12 ± 4 min) compared with non-ceMRA (28 ± 6 min, p < 0.001). The image quality of the aorta-iliac, femoral and combined popliteal and lower leg arteries was inferior for non-ceMRA (2.8 ± 0.8/3.3 ± 0.8/3.3 ± 0.9) versus ceMRA (4.7 ± 0.8/4.8 ± 0.6/4.8 ± 0.7) on a 5-point scale with 5 for maximum quality (p < 0.01). CeMRA offered more assessable data sets than non-ceMRA (98% vs. 90%). For detecting stenosis >50% or occlusions of pelvic and femoral arteries using non-ceMRA the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 94%, 86%, 67% and 98% and for popliteal and lower leg arteries 93%, 87%, 69% and 98%, respectively.
Conclusion
We demonstrated that 3D non-ceMRA represents a very promising technique in patients with lower extremities PVD and could be used as an alternative if gadolinium-based contrast agents cannot be administered.