ILIAC ARTERY NIR ANGIOGRAPHY - COMPARISON OF 3-DIMENSIONAL GADOLINIUM-ENHANCED AND 2-DIMENSIONAL TIME-OF-FLIGHT TECHNIQUES

PURPOSE: To determine if a three-dimensional (3D) gadolinium-enhanced technique is useful for improving the accuracy of magnetic resonance ( MR) angiography.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospectively, two-dimensional (2D) time-of-flight (TOF) and 3D gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography wa s performed in 23 patients. Conventional arteriography, the reference standard, was performed in all but five patients. Images from each exa mination were interpreted blindly by two observers. RESULTS: For commo n and external iliac arteries, interpretations of dynamic 3D gadoliniu m-enhanced MR angiograms matched those of conventional arteriograms in 12 of 18 patients (67%) for both observers. Interpretations of 2D TOF images matched those of conventional arteriograms in six (33%) and se ven (39%) patients for the two observers respectively. CONCLUSION: Pre liminary results suggest that iliac artery MR angiography can be impro ved by complementing standard 2D TOF acquisitions with 3D gadolinium-e nhanced acquisitions.