Fast TWIST with iterative reconstruction improves diagnostic accuracy of AVM of the hand

Very high temporal and spatial resolution is mandatory for the diagnosis of arteriovenous malformations (AVM) of the hand. Until now, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has not fulfilled both requirements simultaneously. This study presents how the combination of a very fast TWIST MRI (time-resolved angiography with interleaved stochastic trajectories) sequence and iterative reconstructions optimizes temporal as well as spatial resolution. 11 patients were examined at a 3-T MRI scanner with two different TWIST protocols: the standard and the study protocol, acquiring a data set every 5.57 s and 1.44 s respectively. The study data was retrospectively iteratively reconstructed with different regularization factors (0.001, 0.002, 0.004, 0.008). Results were compared using the sign-test. P-values < 0.05 were regarded statistically significant. With a low amount of contrast medium, the temporal resolution of the study protocol enabled the differentiation of arteries from veins in all patients whereas the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) deteriorated. Depending on the regularization factors, SNR, delineation of arterial feeders and non-involved hand and interdigital arteries, as well as artefact levels varied. Overall, iterative reconstruction with regularization factor 0.004 achieved the best results, consequently showing the ability of MRI as a reliable diagnostic method in AVMs of the hand.