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Published on: June 2, 2015
MR imaging of iliofemoral peripheral vascular calcifications using proton density-weighted, in-phase
Marcos P Ferreira Botelho1,2, Ioannis Koktzoglou2,3, Jeremy D Collins1
1Radiology, Northwestern Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Purpose:
The presence of vascular calcifications helps to determine percutaneous access for interventional vascular procedures and has prognostic value for future cardiovascular events. Unlike CT, standard MRI techniques are insensitive to vascular calcifications. In this prospective study, we tested a proton density-weighted, in-phase (PDIP) three-dimensional (3D) stack-of-stars gradient-echo pulse sequence with approximately 1 mm3 isotropic spatial resolution at 1.5 Tesla (T) and 3T to detect iliofemoral peripheral vascular calcifications and correlated MR-determined lesion volumes with CT angiography (CTA).
Methods:
The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board. The prototype PDIP stack-of-stars pulse sequence was applied in 12 patients with iliofemoral peripheral vascular calcifications who had undergone CTA.
Results:
Vascular calcifications were well visualized in all subjects, excluding segments near prostheses or stents. The location, size, and shape of the calcifications were similar to CTA. Quantitative analysis showed excellent correlation (r2 = 0.84; P < 0.0001) between MR- and CT-based measures of calcification volume. In one subject in whom three pulse sequences were compared, PDIP stack-of-stars outperformed cartesian 3D gradient-echo and point-wise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA).
Conclusion:
In this pilot study, a PDIP 3D stack-of-stars gradient-echo pulse sequence with high spatial resolution provided excellent image quality and accurately depicted the location and volume of iliofemoral vascular calcifications. Magn Reson Med 77:2146-2152, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Insights
A new MRI technique accurately detects vascular calcifications, matching CT angiography results. This proton density-weighted, in-phase (PDIP) 3D stack-of-stars sequence shows promise for assessing cardiovascular risk.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Cardiovascular Radiology
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Background:
- Vascular calcifications are crucial for predicting cardiovascular events and guiding interventions.
- Standard MRI is insensitive to vascular calcifications, unlike CT.
- Accurate, non-invasive detection of calcifications is clinically significant.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a novel proton density-weighted, in-phase (PDIP) 3D stack-of-stars MRI sequence for detecting iliofemoral vascular calcifications.
- To compare MR-determined calcification volumes with CT angiography (CTA) measurements.
- To assess the sequence's performance at 1.5T and 3T with high spatial resolution (1 mm³).
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 12 patients with iliofemoral vascular calcifications who underwent CTA.
- Application of a prototype PDIP 3D stack-of-stars gradient-echo pulse sequence.
- Correlation of MR-derived lesion volumes with CTA findings.
Main Results:
- Vascular calcifications were well visualized by the PDIP sequence in all subjects, except near prostheses/stents.
- MR and CT measurements of calcification volume showed excellent correlation (r² = 0.84, P < 0.0001).
- The PDIP sequence outperformed standard Cartesian 3D GRE and PETRA sequences in one subject.
Conclusions:
- The PDIP 3D stack-of-stars sequence offers excellent image quality for depicting iliofemoral vascular calcifications.
- This high-resolution MRI technique accurately assesses the location and volume of vascular calcifications.
- This pilot study demonstrates the potential of PDIP MRI as a valuable tool for cardiovascular assessment.
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An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...