High-Spatial-Resolution Multistation MR Angiography with Parallel Imaging and Blood Pool Contrast Agent: Initial Experience

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of reader detection of 75% or greater stenosis at high-spatial-resolution multistation magnetic resonance (MR) angiography performed with matrix coils and a blood pool contrast agent. Ten healthy volunteers and 10 patients were examined. All participants provided informed consent to participate in this institutional review board-approved study. For contrast agent-enhanced multistation MR angiography, an albumin-binding gadolinium chelate, gadofosveset trisodium, was used. Imaging was performed during the first-pass and steady-state phases of the contrast agent. Vessel conspicuity on the first-pass MR angiograms obtained in both volunteers and patients was rated as excellent for 93% of vessels. At steady-state imaging, vessel conspicuity was rated as excellent or good for 89% of vessels. Gadofosveset trisodium-enhanced MR angiography yielded sensitivities of 100% and 97% and specificities of 96% and 97% for detection of significant disease in the carotid and lower extremity arteries, respectively.

Equilibrium‐phase MR angiography: Comparison of unspecific extracellular and protein‐binding gadolinium‐based contrast media with respect to image quality

“…The feasibility of gadofosveset trisodium has been demonstrated in previous studies, for both first-pass MRA and equilibrium-phase MRA (10,(21)(22)(23). In comparison with nonspecific extracellular contrast media, gadofosveset trisodium reversibly binds to plasma albumin.…”

“…Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that gadofosveset trisodium allows us to prolong the time window for vascular imaging, offering the possibility of using high-spatial-resolution sequences in the equilibrium phase (i.e. steady state) and thus allowing an unprecedented, detailed depiction of vessel morphology, including analysis of the vessel wall (9)(10)(11). However, at present there is limited availability of gadofosveset trisodium, especially in the European region, since Vasovist® (Bayer HealthCare, Berlin, Germany) is no longer distributed.…”

MR angiography with blood pool contrast agents

“…At steady-state imaging, vessel conspicuity was rated as excellent or good for 89% of vessels. CE-MRA yielded a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 97% for detection of significant disease in the lower extremity arteries [38]. The quality of the high-spatial-resolution lower leg images acquired during steady state was diminished owing to motion artifacts related to long acquisition time in a few instances.…”

“…Further extension of the vascular phase is now possible with BPA during the steady state [16]. Initial clinical experience with the bolus injectable BPA gadofosveset trisodium was recently reported from Nikolaou et al [38]. These investigators assessed the diagnostic accuracy for detection of 75% or greater stenosis at high-spatial-resolution multistation CE-MRA with gadofosveset trisodium.…”

Parallel Magnetic Resonance Imaging

“…Contrast-enhanced angiography gains greatly if performed using parallel imaging. [65][66][67] Increasing the temporal resolution improves the diagnostic value and avoids bolus dilution of the applied contrast media, which considerably improves the contrast-to-noise ratio. 65 Parallel imaging furthermore enables single breath-hold acquisitions in the abdominal region, helping to reduce respiratory motion artifacts.…”