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Immediate postgadolinium spoiled gradient-echo MRI for evaluating the abdominal aorta in the setting of abdominal MR
N L Kelekis1, R C Semelka, P L Molina
1Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 27599-7510, USA.
Abstract:
To assess the reproducibility and image quality of immediate postgadolinium chelate spoiled gradient-echo MRI in demonstrating disease of the abdominal aorta. All patients (27 patients: 21 men, 6 women) with substantial disease of the abdominal aorta, who underwent abdominal MR examinations at 1.5 T between 1991 and 1995, were entered in the study. Patients were referred for evaluation of suspected aortic disease (14 patients) or other abdominal diseases (13 patients). Three experienced investigators manually measured luminal and external aortic wall diameters and rated image quality, definition of inner and outer walls, extent of disease, and presence of other abdominal abnormalities, in an independent fashion. A cardiovascular surgeon then rated all studies to determine whether clinical management could be based on the MR findings alone. There was 98 to 99% agreement in measurements of luminal and external wall diameter between the three investigators. Overall image quality was rated as good in 77.8 to 88.9% of patients. A total of 31 additional nonaortic abdominal abnormalities were detected by all observers. The cardiovascular surgeon rated 25 of 27 studies as adequate to determine clinical management based on MR findings alone. Immediate postgadolinium spoiled gradient-echo MRI is a reproducible technique for the demonstration of abdominal aortic disease and possesses good image quality. Advantages of this technique include simultaneous evaluation of other nonvascular diseases of the abdomen, short examination time, and easy implementation as part of routine abdominal MRI scanning protocol.
Insights
Immediate postgadolinium spoiled gradient-echo MRI offers reproducible imaging for abdominal aortic disease with good quality. This technique aids clinical management and detects other abdominal abnormalities.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Abdominal aortic disease requires accurate diagnostic imaging.
- Gradient-echo MRI sequences are utilized for abdominal imaging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reproducibility and image quality of immediate postgadolinium chelate spoiled gradient-echo MRI for abdominal aortic disease.
- To assess the utility of this MRI technique in clinical decision-making.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 27 patients with abdominal aortic disease who underwent 1.5 T MRI.
- Independent measurements of aortic dimensions and image quality ratings by three investigators.
- Assessment of MRI findings by a cardiovascular surgeon for clinical management suitability.
Main Results:
- High agreement (98-99%) in aortic diameter measurements between investigators.
- Good overall image quality reported in 77.8-88.9% of cases.
- 25 of 27 studies were deemed adequate for clinical management decisions.
Conclusions:
- Immediate postgadolinium spoiled gradient-echo MRI is a reproducible and high-quality technique for visualizing abdominal aortic disease.
- This MRI method facilitates clinical management and allows for the detection of incidental abdominal findings.
- The technique is efficient and can be integrated into routine abdominal MRI protocols.