Ah. Wilman et al., FLUOROSCOPICALLY TRIGGERED CONTRAST-ENHANCED 3-DIMENSIONAL MR-ANGIOGRAPHY WITH ELLIPTIC CENTRIC VIEW ORDER - APPLICATION TO THE RENAL-ARTERIES, Radiology, 205(1), 1997, pp. 137-146
PURPOSE: To determine the reliability of obtaining arterial-phase, con
trast-material-enhanced three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance (MR)
angiograms of the renal arteries by using a technique that combines t
wo-dimensional real-time MR fluoroscopy and a 3D MR angiographic acqui
sition with elliptical centric view order. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twen
ty-five consecutive patients suspected of having renal artery disease
were evaluated with the fluoroscopically triggered technique by using
a mean dose of 0.18 mmol/kg gadoteridol. Left renal vein suppression,
inferior vena cava suppression, motion artifact, and image quality for
depiction of the renal arteries were each evaluated on a five-point s
cale (1 = best). The findings were compared with those of another 25 c
onsecutive patients who underwent conventional gadolinium-enhanced 3D
MR angiography. RESULTS: The fluoroscopically triggered technique prod
uced 4.6 times less left renal vein enhancement than did the conventio
nal method (P < .01). With the fluoroscopically triggered technique, v
isualization of the renal arteries was adequate for diagnosis in 24 pa
tients (96%) and the overall result (score of 1-3 for all criteria) wa
s of good quality in 22 patients (88%). CONCLUSION: With this fluorosc
opically triggered MR angiographic technique, high-quality, arterial p
hase, relatively motion immune angiograms can be routinely obtained.