[Noninvasive vascular diagnosis with magnetic resonance angiography]

Currently contrast medium-enhanced, 3D magnetic resonance angiography enables fast and non-invasive depiction of the arterial vessels in the neck, thorax, abdomen, and limbs, which allows high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnostically evaluation of aneurysms, dissection and arterial stenosis. Intravenous bolus administration of a paramagnetic contrast medium is performed after timing of the bolus arrival time, thus enabling rapid acquisition of 3D datasets with high contrast between vessel lumen and surrounding soft tissue. Thorax and abdomen are examined within one breath-hold, the periphery of the extremities and the supra-aortal vessels can be imagined with longer sequences and even increased spatial resolution. Fast contrast-enhanced 3D magnetic resonance angiography--in combination with flow measurements--carries the potential to replace the additional functional information obtained by conventional digital subtraction angiography.