MAGNETIC-RESONANCE ANGIOGRAPHY OF THE ORIGINS OF THE SUPRAAORTIC ARTERIES - COMPARISON OF SINGLE AND DOUBLE VOLUME ACQUISITION 3D TIME-OF-FLIGHT

Purpose: The authors have optimized the technique of Magnetic Resonanc e Angiography (MR-angio) in the study of the origins of the supraaorti c arteries. Methods: Twenty healthy volunteers, mean age 21.5, were st udied with MR-angio of the origins of the supraaortic arteries; a 1 T superconductive magnet (Impact) with body coil was used. All the volun teers were studied using Time of flight (TOF), and two acquisition tec hniques : single volume FISP (fast imaging with steady-state precessio n) 3D TONE (tilted optimized non-saturating excitation) and double vol ume FISP 3D TONE with 30% overlapping. The images were acquired on the axial plane following the positioning of three pre-saturation pulses. Results: Regarding the visualization of the different components of t he origins of the supraaortic arteries, a statistical analysis was wor ked out using the Mann Whitney test (p < 0.05); there was no statistic ally significant difference between two techniques. Regarding the visu alization of the various segments (origin, 1/3 proximal, 1/3 middle, 1 /3 distal), although the double volume did on the one hand allow a bet ter visualization of the more distal vascular components (statiscally significant difference), on the other it induced the presence of artef acts with decreased the quality of the image as a whale. Discussion: I n our experience TOF 3D technique with TONE and single volume has well identified the origin of the vertebral arteries, while, in several ca ses, TOF 3D technique with TONE and double volume did not permit the v isualization of the origin of the vertebral arteries due to the presen ce of the artefacts from overlapping. Conclusion: From our experience we have established that the TOF 3D technique with TONE and single vol ume makes it possible to obtain MR-angio of a high diagnostic quality in a short time (10-15 mn).