Time-Resolved Imaging of Contrast Kinetics for Canine Hindlimb Angiography: A Comparison With CT Angiography and...

This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of time-resolved imaging of contrast kinetics (TRICKS) for visualizing hindlimb vasculature in normal dogs and to compare it with CT angiography (CTA) and noncontrast magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). In a method-comparison prospective study, CTA and MRA, including three-dimensional time-of-flight (TOF), phase-contrast, and TRICKS sequences, were performed on the bilateral hindlimbs of six healthy beagles. Vascular distinction, delineation, connectivity, visualization, and image quality were qualitatively assessed. The relative signal intensity and acquisition time were measured. TRICKS provided better vascular distinction, delineation, and connectivity in both the proximal and distal regions compared with phase-contrast and TOF, and its image quality was comparable to that of CTA. TRICKS also demonstrated excellent differentiation between arteries and veins, which was attributable to the use of contrast agents and high temporal resolution, allowing for detailed visualization of both large and small vessels. Although artifacts were occasionally observed in TRICKS, they did not affect the overall image quality. Although the phase-contrast sequence performed well in visualizing larger vessels, it showed significant limitations in smaller branches and vessel connectivity. TOF suffers from artifacts and long acquisition times, rendering it less effective for the peripheral vasculature. These findings suggest that TRICKS is a feasible and valuable tool for detailed hindlimb vasculature imaging, offering improved visualization and rapid acquisition compared with noncontrast MRA techniques.