MR angiography of renal cell carcinoma

Seventeen patients with renal cell carcinoma were studied to evaluate the usefulness of gradient echo (fast low-angle shot), time-of-flight magnetic resonance (MR) angiography under breath-holding. By reconstruction of the data of consecutive coronal scans of the abdomen, in all 17 patients with renal cell carcinoma, MR angiography can delineate the abdominal aorta, inferior vena cava and renal arteries and veins simultaneously without any contrast materials. Our present study suggested that MR angiography is a useful imaging method for preoperatively assessing spacial vascular structures of the abdomen of patients with renal cell carcinoma.