Lower extremity occlusive disease: diagnostic imaging with a combination of cardiac-gated 2D phase-contrast and cardiac-gated 2D time-of-flight MRA.

Full Abstract

PURPOSE: The goal of this work was to test the ability of a combination of 2D phase-contrast MR angiography (2D-PC-MRA) and triggered 2D time-of-flight MRA (2D-TOF-MRA) in comparison to intraarterial digital subtraction angiography (DSA) to correctly diagnose the location and shape of occlusive lesions in the iliac and femoral arteries and to determine whether 2D-TOF-MRA is helpful to clarify questionable lesions demonstrated by 2D-PC-MRA. METHODS: In 50 patients with claudication, 2D-PC-MRA was performed in three consecutive coronal positions from the aortic bifurcation to below the trifurcation. Axial 2D-TOF-MRA was performed additionally at the site of detected lesions of >50% and lesions in doubt to obtain more precise information about the stenosis. Lesions were classified as follows: low grade occlusion, <50%; high grade occlusion, >50%. MRA was performed within 24 h of a DSA examination. RESULTS: In all patients, the arterial tree from the aortic bifurcation to the trifurcation could be visualized. One hundred twelve lesions were detected by MRA. Sensitivity was 96% and specificity was 92%. Sixty-two lesions were classified as high grade occlusion and reevaluated. In this category, sensitivity was 100% and specificity was 96%. CONCLUSION: The combination of 2D-PC-MRA with triggered 2D-TOF-MRA detects stenotic lesions in the lower extremity arterial system with high sensitivity and specificity.

Author information

Author/s: Steffens, J C (JC); Link, J (J); Schwarzenberg, H (H); Mueller-Huelsbeck, S (S); Brinkmann, G (G); Heller, M (M);

Affiliation: Department of Radiology, Christian Albrechts University Kiel, Germany.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article

Journal: Journal of computer assisted tomography (J Comput Assist Tomogr), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: -1999 Jan-Feb; vol 23 (issue 1) : pp 7-12

Dates: Created 1999/03/11; Completed 1999/03/11; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 10050798, status: MEDLINE (last retrieved date: 2/18/2009)

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