MR-ANGIOGRAPHY OF THE ILIAC AND UPPER FEMORAL ARTERIES USING 4 DIFFERENT INFLOW TECHNIQUES

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to compare two inflow MR angi ography pulse sequences obtained with and without systolic synchroniza tion. We also compared these two MR angiography pulse sequences with c onventional angiography.SUBJECTS AND METHODS, Thirty-one consecutive p atients who were scheduled for conventional angiography because of sym ptomatic atherosclerotic occlusive disease of the iliac or femoral art ery underwent MR angiography using four different MR angiography techn iques. These techniques consisted of a multiple two-dimensional invers ion prepulse gradient-recalled echo technique (turbo field-echo) obtai ned with and without systolic synchronization and a multiple two-dimen sional gradient-recalled echo technique (fast field-echo) obtained wit h and without systolic synchronization. We then compared image quality and our ability to detect and grade degree and length of stenosis, us ing conventional angiography as the gold standard. RESULTS. The systol ic-synchronized turbo field-echo sequence produced the best results bo th objectively and subjectively. Comparing systolic-synchronized turbo field-echo and fast field-echo techniques with conventional angiograp hy regarding detection and grading degree of stenoses, we found no sta tistically significant differences. CONCLUSION, Systolic synchronizati on proved to be of significant importance for image quality. The systo lic-synchronized turbo field-echo pulse sequence proved to be superior to the other three MR angiography techniques.