Iliofemoral arterial occlusive disease: Contrast-enhanced MR angiography for preinterventional evaluation and follow-up after stent placement

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of contrast material-enhanced magnetic re sonance (MR) angiography for the diagnosis of peripheral arterial occlusion and follow-up after stent placement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-seven patients (21 women, 46 men; mean age, 64 .6 years) were examined. Digital subtraction angiography and contrast-enhan ced MR angiography were performed in 28 patients for preinterventional eval uation of iliofemoral arterial occlusion and in 39 patients for follow-up a fter stent placement in the iliac or femoral arteries, which had been perfo rmed several months before. RESULTS: All 24 occlusions were correctly diagnosed with contrast-enhanced MR angiography. Of the 59 stenoses, 36 were greater than 50% and 23 were 50 % or less. Sensitivity and specificity for the detection of stenoses greate r than 50% were 100% and 83%, respectively. Patency of the different stents was determined correctly with contrast-enhanced MR, angiography. Some sten ts caused signal intensity dropout, which made MR evaluation of stents diff icult. Generally, these signal intensity artifacts were most severe in stai nless steel stents and mild in some nitinol stents. CONCLUSION: Contrast enhanced MR angiography is comparable to digital subtr action angiography for the detection of stenosis greater than 50% and occlu sion in the iliofemoral arteries. Stent patency can be determined, but cont rast-enhanced MR angiography is not suitable for stent evaluation owing to signal intensity dropout; however, it provides information about the vascul ar anatomic areas proximal and distal to the stent.