THORACIC AORTA - COMPARISON OF GADOLINIUM-ENHANCED 3-DIMENSIONAL MR-ANGIOGRAPHY WITH CONVENTIONAL MR-IMAGING

PURPOSE: To evaluate gadolinium- enhanced three-dimensional magnetic r esonance (MR) angiography for thoracic aortic disease and to compare t his technique with conventional thoracic MR imaging. MATERIALS AND MET HODS: One hundred eight consecutive patients underwent 122 thoracic MR examinations, including conventional MR imaging followed by enhanced three-dimensional MR angiography. A gradient-echo sequence was used at 1.5 T (116 examinations) and 1.0 T (6 examinations) during infusion o f 0.2 mmol/kg gadopentetate dimeglumine. Two independent readers (A an d B), with varied experience in thoracic MR angiography, retrospective ly evaluated the images for presence of aortic dissection, aneurysm, a rch vessel disease, and protruding atheroma. Correlation with findings of surgery or other imaging modalities was available in 98 cases. RES ULTS: Enhanced MR angiography was sensitive (92%-96%) and specific (10 0%) for acute and chronic aortic dissection (n = 26) and was as useful as conventional MR imaging in the diagnosis of aneurysm (n = 43) and arch vessel disease (n = 7). One of two intramural hematomas were over looked at MR angiography by reader A, and both were overlooked by read er B. CONCLUSION: Enhanced three-dimensional MR angiography is a rapid and accurate imaging modality in diagnosis of thoracic aortic disease but is insensitive to intramural hematoma.