Multiple detector-row CT angiography of the renal and mesenteric vessels

Computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the abdomen with multiple detector-row computed tomography (MD-CT) is an effective technique for minimally invasive imaging of the renal arteries and the visceral vasculature. This article reviews the clinical and technical aspects of MD-CT angiography in terms of image acquisition and reconstruction parameters, contrast medium application, and three-dimensional visualization with special attention to renal and mesenteric vascular imaging. Because of its high sensitivity to detect renal artery stenosis on the one hand, and because a normal renal CTA virtually excludes the presence of a significant renal artery stenosis on the other hand, renal CTA plays a useful role in the management of patients with suspected renovascular hypertension. Mesenteric CTA is a useful tool for visualizing normal vascular anatomy and its variants-particularly in the setting of organ transplantation. Vascular pathology, e.g. atherosclerotic disease (abdominal angina), or aneurysms of the visceral arteries are reliably assessed with CTA. Mesenteric CTA is an invaluable adjunct to abdominal CT in the setting of abdominal emergencies, because of its ability to detect the causes of acute intestinal ischemia (superior mesenteric artery embolism or thrombosis, superior mesenteric vein thrombosis). Accurate timing of the CTA acquisition and the subsequent parenchymal phase acquisition relative to the contrast medium transit time is critical to obtain excellent image quality in double-pass abdominal CT acquisitions.