Magnetic resonance imaging of abdominal aortic grafts

The widespread use of abdominal aortic grafting procedures and increasing awareness of related complications suggests the need for a reliable and non-invasive diagnostic technique which will allow early detection of both occlusive and non-occlusive complications. Ultrasound is generally used with satisfactory results, but has several limitations, whereas MRI has shown great promise in the study of cardiovascular disease, being non-invasive, multiplanar and multiparametric. The present research aims to evaluate MRI in the follow-up of abdominal aortic grafts, attempting to define its significance as a screening procedure in non-selected patients. MRI is reliable in ascertaining the normality of the graft as well as the complications, these being partial or total thrombosis, pseudoaneurysms and perigraft collections. The data obtained are highly satisfactory and are almost always superior to those achieved with ultrasound and CT.