MR-ANGIOGRAPHY OF ANEURYSMS IN BEHCET-DISEASE - A REPORT OF 4 CASES

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of MR angio graphy (MRA) in Behcet disease patients with arterial aneurysms. Avoid ance of angiography is desirable in patients with Behcet disease becau se arterial angiography carries the risk of pseudoaneurysm formation a t the puncture site and intravenous digital subtraction angiography is frequently complicated by puncture site thrombophlebitis in this pati ent group. Method: Four men with Behcet disease and aneurysms were eva luated with MRA. The patients ranged between 30 and 48 years of age. A ll subjects had known Behcet disease for >10 years. Multiplanar T1-wei ghted images were followed by 2D breath-hold MRA without gadolinium ad ministration for chest studies and 2D-TOF MRA for the extremities. Res ults: One aortic arch, one descending aorta, one pulmonary artery, one common femoral artery, and one popliteal artery aneurysm were depicte d in four subjects with MRA. Surgery was successfully performed in thr ee subjects without the need for further angiographic workup. One subj ect with two aneurysms in the thoracic aorta is currently under steroi d treatment. Conclusion: MRA combined with T1-weighted SE images adequ ately demonstrated the aneurysms in four patients and made it possible to avoid contrast angiography.