In:
Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal, SAGE Publications, Vol. 61, No. 4 ( 2010-10), p. 206-216
Abstract:
A retrospective analysis of the diagnostic performance of the timed arterial compression (TAC) technique, which allows freezing of the contrast bolus during first-pass contrast-enhanced (CE) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) to diagnose vascular pathologies in the hand. Material and Methods A total of 14 consecutive CE-MRAs of the hand were acquired by using the TAC technique. By inflating a blood pressure cuff up to 200 mm Hg triggered to the arterial contrast filling of the hand, prolonged measurement times up to 144 seconds, with a spatial resolution of 0.59 × 0.59 × 0.8 mm 3 , could be realized. Overall image qualities, arterial signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and vessel conspicuity besides the final diagnosis were evaluated. Results All 14 TAC-CE-MRAs of the hand were successfully accomplished without any adverse events and yielded, in all cases, a final diagnosis with a high total number of vascular pathologies (57). High arterial SNR and CNR values exceeding the soil of 85 and 60, respectively, resulted. Thus, overall vessel visibility ( 〉 90%), vessel conspicuity (mean Δ signal intensity [SI]/mm = 1,193) and image quality on a per patient level ( 〉 60%) were rated as excellent or good. Conclusions TAC-CE-MRA of the hand offers high diagnostic performance because of its increased spatial resolution while preserving contrast, which allowed detection of tiny stenoses of the digital arteries.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0846-5371
,
1488-2361
DOI:
10.1016/j.carj.2009.11.005
Language:
English
Publisher:
SAGE Publications
Publication Date:
2010
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2068691-2
