High-spatial-resolution lower extremity MR angiography at 3.0 T: contrast agent dose comparison study

To determine whether contrast material dose reduction at 3.0 T allows preserved image quality for high-spatial-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) angiography of the lower extremities.

Forty-five consecutive patients (27 men, 18 women; mean age, 64 years) underwent contrast material-enhanced MR angiography of the lower extremities at 3.0 T. A waiver of informed consent was granted by the institutional review board. Sixteen patients received high-dose (approximately 0.3 mmol/kg), 15 received intermediate-dose (approximately 0.2 mmol/kg), and 14 received low-dose (approximately 0.1 mmol/kg) gadopentetate dimeglumine during a three-station, dual-injection examination. For scoring purposes, the arterial system from the celiac trunk to the plantar arteries was divided into 34 segments. The images were retrospectively and independently evaluated by two specialized radiologists who were blinded to the patient dose groups. All studies were assessed for overall image quality and the degree of contaminating venous enhancement. Each arterial segment was scored for the quality of vessel definition, the severity of stenoses, and the presence of collateral vessels.

More than 99% of arterial segments were found to be of diagnostic image quality by both readers in all dose groups. Generalized estimating equation analysis showed a significant difference among the three groups with regard to vessel definition (P = .019). No significant difference was found between the high- and intermediate-dose groups; however, the low-dose group had significantly better vessel definition compared with the high-dose (P = .034) and intermediate-dose (P = .015) groups. There was no significant difference among the groups in visualization of collateral vessels. Venous contamination was seen less frequently in the low-dose group, but the difference did not achieve significance.

The study showed that, compared with widely used dose strategies at 1.5 T, the contrast agent dose for 3.0-T lower extremity MR angiography can be reduced multifold without compromising image quality.