• Alexander Huppertz, Hannes Kroll, Christian Klessen, Matthias Taupitz, Ralph I Rückert, Ralf-Juergen Schröder, Thomas Albrecht, Bernd Frericks, Matthias Voth, Moritz Wagner, Bernd Hamm, and Patrick Asbach.
• Imaging Science Institute Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany. Alexander.Huppertz@charite.de
• Invest Radiol. 2009 Jul 1; 44 (7): 422-32.

ObjectiveTo prospectively evaluate diagnostic accuracy of first pass and combined first pass and steady state high-spatial-resolution whole-body magnetic resonance (MR) angiography with a blood pool contrast agent for quantification of arterial stenosis in different vascular territories.Materials And MethodsAfter Institutional Review Board approval and informed consent, 50 patients with known 50% or greater stenosis in at least one vascular territory; as shown by the standard-of-reference (14 digital subtraction angiographies, 4 computed tomographies, 32 ultrasound examinations), were included. The patients underwent MR angiography at 1.5 Tesla, using a standardized nonbody-weight-adapted i.v. bolus injection of 11 mL gadofosveset trisodium. First pass imaging with 4 different table positions in a whole-body MR scanner (MAGNETOM Avanto, Siemens Healthcare), using individual circulation time determined by a test bolus, was performed. Steady state imaging was performed using an isometric spatial resolution of 1.0 mm. Image quality was rated. Each vascular segment in MR angiography was evaluated by 2 independent and blinded reviewers and the stenosis degree was compared with the preferred standard-of-reference, using a 5-point scale. Differences between first pass and combined MR angiography were assessed with a 95% confidence interval (CI) by applying the adjusted modified chi(2) test. Changes in therapy based on the whole-body examination strategy were evaluated.ResultsThe number of nondiagnostic territories was 24 of 197 (12.2%) for first pass MR angiography and decreased to 3 of 197 (1.5%) after addition of steady state MR angiography. The diagnostic accuracy for quantification of arterial stenosis in combined MR angiography (94.7%; 95% CI: 92.4-97.1) was superior to first pass MR angiography (81.7%; 95% CI: 73.7-89.8; statistically significant). Patient management was changed in 12 of 49 patients, in 7 of 12 patients the change was applied to an additional lesion detected by the whole-body examination strategy.ConclusionThe quantification and detection of arterial stenosis is improved by the steady state high-resolution gadofosveset trisodium-enhanced MR angiography. Additional lesions detected by whole-body examination strategy or differences in stenosis quantification may lead to changes in therapy.

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