Keywords:
Arteries / Aorta, Cardiovascular system, Vascular, MR-Angiography, Diagnostic procedure
Authors:
A. Fischer, S. Orzada, S. Johst, M. E. Ladd, K. Nassenstein, T. Lauenstein, S. Maderwald; Essen/DE
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2013/C-2343
Purpose
- Gold standard for the evaluation of the lower extremity arteries: DSA
- Excellent alternative imaging tool: MRA with Gadolinium-based contrast agents
- Recognition of Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF) a few years ago: patients with renal failure should be evaluated more strictly as Gadolinium plays a triggering role for the development of NSF [1]
- Non-contrast-enhanced imaging techniques became focus of research,
mostly based on T2-weighted (w) TSE or ECG-gated SSFP examinations [2,3]
- Ultra-high-field MRI at 7 Tesla (T) enabled first approaches in non-enhanced intracranial MR angiography [4] and showed promising results in 7 T whole body imaging
- First results in non-enhanced imaging of the renal vasculature using T1-weighted FLASH sequences were published recently [5]
The aim of our study was to investigate the feasibility of non-contrast-enhanced 7 T MRA of the lower leg with T1w FLASH imaging