Low-dose, time-resolved, contrast-enhanced 3D MR angiography in cardiac and vascular diseases: correlation to high spatial resolution 3D contrast-enhanced MRA

AimTo evaluate the effectiveness of low-dose, contrast-enhanced, time-resolved, three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance (MR) angiography (TR-MRA) in the assessment of various cardiac and vascular diseases, and to compare the results with high-resolution contrast-enhanced MRA (CE-MRA).Materials and MethodsThirty consecutive patients underwent contrast-enhanced 3D TR-MRA and high spatial resolution 3D CE-MRA for evaluation of cardiac and thoracic vascular diseases at 1.5 T, and neurovascular, abdominal and peripheral vascular diseases at 3 T. Gadolinium-based contrast medium was administered at a constant dose of 5 ml for TR-MRA, and 20 ml (lower extremity 30 ml) for CE-MRA. Two readers evaluated image quality using a four-point scale (from 0 = excellent to 3 = non-diagnostic), artefacts and findings on both datasets. Interobserver variability was tested with kappa coefficient.ResultsThe overall image quality for TR-MRA was in the diagnostic range (median 0, range 0–1; k = 0.74). Readers demonstrated important additional dynamic information on TR-MRA in 28 of 30 patients (k = 0.84). Confident evaluation of organ perfusion (n = 23), arteriovenous malformation/fistula flow patterns (n = 7), exclusion of intra-cardiac shunts (n = 6), and assessment of stent and conduit patency (n = 5) were performed by both readers using TR-MRA. Readers demonstrated fine vascular details with higher confidence in 10 patients on CE-MRA. Using CE-MRA, Reader 1 and 2 depicted anatomical details in 6 and 5 patients, respectively, only on CE-MRA.ConclusionLow-dose TR-MRA yields rapid and important functional and anatomical information in patients with cardiac and vascular diseases. Due to limited spatial resolution, TR-MRA is inferior to CE-MRA in demonstrating fine vascular details.