Three-dimensional time-of-flight MR angiography with a surface coil: evaluation in 12 subjects

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Three-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (3D TOF MRA) is crucial for evaluating intracranial vascular anatomy.
• Standard head coils are typically used for MRA, but their effectiveness in visualizing small, peripheral vessels can be limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of surface coils versus standard head coils for 3D TOF MRA of intracranial vascular anatomy.
• To determine if surface coils can improve the imaging of small peripheral vessels and intracranial vascular lesions.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving five patients with intracranial vascular lesions and seven healthy volunteers.
• Acquisition of 3D TOF MR angiograms using both head coils and surface coils at identical small fields of view (FOVs).

Main Results:

• Surface coils consistently provided better visualization of small peripheral vessels compared to head coils at small FOVs.
• Surface-coil MRA achieved higher spatial resolution for small-FOV peripheral lesion imaging with a comparable signal-to-noise ratio to large-FOV head-coil images.
• A signal falloff issue was noted with surface coils, with centrally located vessels visualized equally or better with head coils.

Conclusions:

• Surface-coil MRA is a valuable adjunct to routine head-coil MRA for assessing peripheral intracranial vascular abnormalities.
• The findings suggest a complementary role for surface coils in specific neurovascular imaging scenarios.
• Optimizing MRA techniques with different coil types can enhance diagnostic accuracy for diverse vascular pathologies.