[MR angiography of pelvic and abdominal vessels]

The assessment of abdominal vessels with conventional methods is invasive and frequently does not yield an accurate diagnosis, particularly in the evaluation of the portal venous system. MR angiography is non-invasive and is well suited for the examination of abdominal vessels. Both vessel morphology and intravascular flow patterns can be characterized with this method. Clinical indications include portal hypertension, portal vein thrombosis, portosystemic shunts, assessment of congenital anomalies, thrombus, and tumor propagation into the inferior vena cava and the renal veins, proximal renal artery stenosis, and assessment of the pelvic arteries and veins. In the future, MR angiography may become an important part of the non-invasive evaluation of abdominal and pelvic vessels.