Dynamic gadolinium‐enhanced three‐dimensional abdominal MR arteriography

TLDR

Three‑dimensional Fourier transform imaging enhanced with gadopentetate dimeglumine was performed on 16 patients to evaluate the abdominal aorta and its branch arteries. Dynamic imaging during a 5‑minute gadopentetate dimeglumine injection yielded highly significant arterial enhancement (SNR 10 ± 0.9) with minimal background signal, correctly identified all 10 stenoses and 2 occlusions in six patients, and produced no artifacts, demonstrating the technique’s promise for abdominal aortic and branch vessel assessment.

Abstract

Abstract The abdominal aorta and renal, visceral, and iliac arteries were evaluated in 16 patients with three‐dimensional Fourier transform imaging enhanced with gadopentetate dimeglumine. By imaging dynamically during the arterial phase of a 5‐minute injection (0.2 mmol/kg), highly significant ( P < .0001) preferential arterial enhancement (signal‐to‐noise ratio ± standard deviation, 10 ± 0.9), with minimal enhancement of the inferior vena cava (5.1 ± 1.4) or background tissues (fat, 4.3 ± 0.7; muscle, 2.4 ± 0.5), was achieved in every patient. In six patients with angiographic and/or surgical correlation, 10 of 10 stenoses and two of two occlusions were correctly identified. No inplane saturation or pulsatility artifact was identified in any of the 16 patients. In conclusion, dynamic imaging during the injection of gadopentetate dimeglumine is a promising technique for evaluation of the abdominal aorta and branch vessels.