Aortoiliac and femoropopliteal phase-based NMR angiography: a comparison between FLAG and RSE

To assess the performance of FLAG and RSE NMR angiography 22 aortoiliac (AI) and 22 femoropopliteal (FP) angiograms in 11 healthy males, mean age 38 +/- 7.6 years, were acquired. The image quality was graded in a blinded fashion by two independent readers. The readers grades were not statistically different (kappa = 0.5696). The representation of diagnostic images was 6/11 FLAG and 8/11 RSE AI as well as 8/11 FLAG and 8/11 RSE FP. On back-to-back comparison six RSE AI and seven RSE FP were graded better than their FLAG counterparts. Although these differences did not achieve a statistical significance RSE NMR angiography provided consistently better images and appears preferable for imaging of the peripheral vascular system in normal subjects.