Suppression of intravascular signal on fat-saturated contrast-enhanced thoracic MR arteriograms

Citation
Es. Siegelman et al., Suppression of intravascular signal on fat-saturated contrast-enhanced thoracic MR arteriograms, RADIOLOGY, 217(1), 2000, pp. 115-118
Citations number
13
Categorie Soggetti
Radiology ,Nuclear Medicine & Imaging","Medical Research Diagnosis & Treatment
Journal title
RADIOLOGY
ISSN journal
00338419 → ACNP
Volume
217
Issue
1
Year of publication
2000
Pages
115 - 118
Database
ISI
SICI code
0033-8419(200010)217:1<115:SOISOF>2.0.ZU;2-1
Abstract
PURPOSE: To assess the prevalence of artifactual signal intensity loss with in the aortic arch and proximal branch vessels an fat-saturated contrast ma terial-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) arteriograms of the thoracic aorta and to hypothesize about the cause of the loss of signal intensity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January and June 1998, 105 consecutive MR ar teriograms of the thoracic aorta were acquired in 103 patients at 1.5 T. Im aging included an arterial phase three-dimensional (3D) fat-saturated contr ast-enhanced gradient-echo (GRE) sequence followed by a delayed two-dimensi onal (2D) transverse fat-saturated GRE sequence. All MR images were reviewe d by two radiologists who were blinded to patient history and results of im aging studies and who evaluated the images for the presence of intraluminal loss of signal intensity in the aortic arch and the proximal branch vessel s. RESULTS: Intravascular toss of signal intensity was present in at least one vessel on 23 of the 105 arterial phase 3D studies. Seventy-one of 91 left subclavian arterial segments had loss of signal intensity on the delayed 2D studies. CONCLUSION: Intravascular signal intensity loss can be present on contrast- enhanced fat-saturated images of the aortic arch and proximal branch vessel s, particularly the left subclavian artery. This phenomenon, which is to th e authors' knowledge previously unreported and which is hypothesized to res ult from undesired water saturation, should not be misinterpreted as stenot ic or occlusive vascular disease.