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Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Non-invasive Assessment of Microvascular and Endothelial Function
Published on: January 29, 2013
Lower extremities magnetic resonance angiography with blood pressure cuff compression: quantitative dynamic analysis
Marcel Koenigkam-Santos1, Puneet Sharma, Bobby Kalb
1Department of Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Purpose:
To quantitatively evaluate changes induced by the application of a femoral blood-pressure cuff (BPC) on run-off magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), which is a method generally previously proposed to reduce venous contamination in the leg.
Materials And Methods:
This study was Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)- and Institutional Review Board (IRB)-compliant. We used time-resolved gradient-echo gadolinium (Gd)-enhanced MRA to measure BPC effects on arterial, venous, and soft-tissue enhancement. Seven healthy volunteers (six men) were studied with the BPC applied at the mid-femoral level unilaterally using a 1.5 T MR system after intravenous injection of Gd-BOPTA. Different statistical tools were used such as the Wilcoxon signed rank test and a cubic smoothing spline fit.
Results:
We found that BPC application induces delayed venous filling (as previously described), but also induces significant decreases in arterial inflow, arterial enhancement, vascular-soft tissue contrast, and delayed peak enhancement (which have not been previously measured).
Conclusion:
The potential benefits from using a BPC for run-off MRA must be balanced against the potential pitfalls, elucidated by our findings.
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The Brachial Artery: Primary Site for Blood Pressure Measurement
Assessing Blood pressure in the Leg
Preparation:
Pre-Procedural Guidelines for Assessing Blood Pressure
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Special considerations while measuring blood pressure
Monitoring Both Arms:
Monitoring BP in both arms during the initial assessment is advisable, as the systolic value may differ by five to ten mm Hg between arms. For subsequent BP assessments, use the arm with the higher reading.
