ULTRA FAST CONTRAST ENHANCED 3D MR ANGIOGRAPHY STATE OF THE ART

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Introduction: The objective of this work was to design and utilize a flexible imaging sequence for ultra-fast, breath-held contrast-enhanced MR Angiography. Methods: Using the current generation of high speed imaging gradients it is possible to achieve sequence repetition times of 4 ms or less. This make it possible to obtain high resolution (512 x 512 x 64) images in under 30 seconds. The versatility of this technique will be demonstrated with applications including imaging of aortic dissection, thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysm, pulmonary embolus, carotid stenosis, and peripheral vascular disease. We will discuss how the administration of contrast must be tailored to the vascular anatomy under examination to avoid venous enhancement. The rapid data acquisition times can be used to image multiple temporal phases or multiple spatial locations. Results/Conclusions: With this technique and the administration of a T1 shortening contrast agent, high quality MRA examinations can be routinely performed in a variety of vascular regions.