Venous signal suppression in 3D dynamic Gd-enhanced carotid artery imaging using the eigenimage filter

A three-dimensional dynamic gadolinium-enhanced carotid artery imaging protocol with 10 sec per phase was evaluated with respect to the acquisition of an arterial-only phase after contrast bolus injection. Subsequently, the eigenimage filter was used to suppress any venous signal based on a difference in arterial and venous temporal enhancement patterns. From 63 consecutive scans of the carotid bifurcation, venous enhancement in the maximal arterial phase was found to be absent in 43%, weak in 19%, and strong in 38% of cases. Our eigenimage filter successfully suppressed the low signal veins in 100% and the high signal veins in 67% of cases. The number of acquired high-quality arterial-only images increased from 43% without to 87% with the use of the filter. In conclusion, even when a dynamic scan cannot resolve the short physiological delay between arterial and venous enhancement, the eigenimage filter can effectively be used to suppress the veins. Magn Reson Med 42:307-313, 1999.