Magnetic resonance angiography in the abdomen and pelvis

Magnetic resonance angiography of the abdomen, pelvis, and lower extremities is still under clinical investigation. This article represents a short review of the current literature in the subject, with emphasis on newer imaging techniques such as two-dimensional and three-dimensional gradient-echo pulse sequences, their current and future clinical applications, and their practical limitations. If the preliminary results hold up, MR angiography may become a standard tool for the evaluation of vascular disorders such as portal hypertension and renal artery stenosis, particularly in conjunction with quantitative measurements of blood flow. The published results making use of MR angiography either alone or in combination with quantitative MR flow measurements in the aorta, the portal system, and in femoral and iliac artery disease are very promising indeed. However, the studies published still comprise a very limited number of patients, and there is a paucity of well-controlled clinical studies applying standardized techniques to a large number of subjects.