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[Phase-contrast MR angiography of the lower extremity. Comparison of methods and clinical application]
P Reimer1, M Wilhelm, M Lentschig
1Institut für Klinische Radiologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster.
Purpose:
To investigate whether phase-contrast MRA is a clinically suited approach to examine arteries of the pelvis and lower extremities.
Methods:
The study was divided into two parts, a volunteer study and patient study. Three MRA techniques-2D TOF with venous saturation, 3D magnitude contrast and 2D phase contrast with ECG triggering-were intraindividually compared in 15 volunteers and evaluated by three blinded readers. Subsequently, a total of 230 vessel segments of 45 MRA studies using ECG-triggered phase contrast were compared with intraarterial DSA. All vessel segments were scored by three blinded readers using a five-point scale with DSA serving as the gold standard.
Results:
ECG-triggered phase contrast provided better image quality than the other MRA techniques as assessed by the Friedman test. Clinical studies demonstrated a significant correlation of DSA and MRA as assessed by the Spearman correlation and kappa statistics for individual readers.
Conclusion:
MRA of the pelvis and lower extremities may be performed with 2D ECG-triggered phase-contrast MRA within a reasonable time frame (< 30 min). MRA slabs provide orientation similar to that with DSA projections and good to very good correlation of vessel pathology as shown by kappa statistics.