Interactive two-dimensional fresh blood imaging: a feasibility study

Abstract

This paper presents work on interactive 2D projection magnetic resonance angiography, based on fresh blood imaging (FBI), which integrates navigation and triggering optimisation into a continuous fluoroscopic procedure. The technique was developed on a clinical 1.5-T MRI system and performed in five healthy volunteers. Initial feasibility study compared FBI projection angiograms with maximum intensity projection reformats from multi-slice, ECG-gated, 2D time-of-flight (TOF) in the lower peripheral arteries. A technical performance evaluation of 40 vessel segments showed that FBI generated angiograms of comparable diagnostic quality (P < 0.074) with fewer artefacts (P < 0.003). Quantitative vessel-to-background contrast measurements were higher in FBI (P < 0.014). The technique has potential application as an interactive vascular imaging tool in interventional or multi-location MRI examinations.

A comparative analysis of non-contrast flow spoiled MR angiography (fresh blood imaging fbi) versus contrast-enhanced MR angiography for the evaluation of peripheral arterial disease: initial experience.

“…A feasibility study by Wong et al (18) compared FBI-MRA of the lower limb arteries with time-of-flight MR angiography in five healthy volunteers and showed superior vessel-to-background image quality in the 40 segments that were analyzed. Nakamura et al (19) assessed the accuracy of FBI-MR angiography in comparison to contrast medium enhanced multidetector computed tomography angiography in 13 patients with 56 diseased segments involving the iliac, femoral and calf arteries.…”