PERIPHERAL OCCLUSIVE VASCULAR-DISEASE - D IAGNOSTIC PERFORMANCE OF MRA AND DSA

Material and methods: In 59 patients with arterial flow disturbances 2 -D inflow sequence of the abdominal and lower leg arteries were prospe ctively obtained on a 1.5 T MR-imager and were compared with additiona l DSA examinations. Supplementary Phase Contraste RSE (''Rapid Sequent ial Excitation'') sequences were carried out in 29 patients. MRA and D SA angiograms were evaluated in random order by 4 readers using a ques tionnaire. The assessment of image quality were evaluated by variance analysis. Diagnostic performance of MRA and DSA was assessed by compar ison of the readers' diagnostic assessments with reference diagnoses e stablished by a radiologist and a vascular surgeon with full knowledge of all data concerning a patient. Image quality of inflow MRA was con sidered inferior to i.a. DSA (p < 0.001) and comparable with i.v. DSA (p = 0.1361). Image quality of RSE-MRA was inadequate (p < 0.001). Cor respondingly, i.a. DSA was the superior and RSE-MRA the inferior imagi ng technique. The accuracy of inflow MRA in determining stenosis grade was 66% and that of RSE-MRA 59%.