A PRELIMINARY-REPORT ON 3-DIMENSIONAL MAGNETIC-RESONANCE ANGIOGRAPHY OF THE LIVER WITH BOLUS INJECTION OF GD-DTPA

For nine healthy volunteers, we attempted to apply three-dimensional m agnetic resonance angiography (3D-MRA) of the liver, using the 3D-grad ient echo sequences which allow image during one breath-holding after intravenous bolus injection of gadolinium diethylene triamine pentaace tic acid (Gd-DTPA). When the portal venous segment of interest was vis ualized with no discontinuation, the result was assessed as positive. The rate of positive imaging was examined for each branch of the porta l venous system. With the exception of the horizontal segment of the l eft portal branch, the main trunk, the first- and second-order branche s of the portal system were all visualized without interruption. For t he third-order branches, greater than 80% of right branches were posit ive but the rate was less than 40% for the left. Since this technique allows the portal system to be visualized uninterruptedly for a short time with one breath-holding, it is promising as a new method of abdom inal MRA.