[2D MR angiography of lumbar venous plexuses]

MR angiography of the lumbar venous plexuses (MR venography, MRV) was performed with thirty-one cases using a 1.5 T superconducting MR unit. Two MRV techniques, FISP based subtraction method and FLASH based TOF method were used for this study. After obtaining coronal or axial data acquisition, angiographic images were reconstructed by MIP method. Gd-DTPA was injected in all cases. The over all detectability of the lumbar venous plexuses was more than 77% on coronal data acquisition with subtraction method that better delineated slow-in-plane flow with optimal tissue signal suppression around the vessels. The coronal images were superior to axial ones in terms of wider demonstration of vertebral venous plexuses. Whole lumbar spine can be demonstrated in coronal plane. The use of Gd-DTPA to reduce the saturation effect of venous flow was necessary for better visualization of the lumbar venous plexuses.