• Kotaro Shimada, Hiroyoshi Isoda, Tomohisa Okada, Toshikazu Kamae, Shigeki Arizono, Yuusuke Hirokawa, Toshiya Shibata, and Kaori Togashi.
• Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. kotaro@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
• J Magn Reson Imaging. 2009 May 1; 29 (5): 1140-6.

PurposeTo compare and evaluate images acquired with two different MR angiography (MRA) sequences, three-dimensional (3D) half-Fourier fast spin-echo (FSE) and 3D true steady-state free-precession (SSFP) combined with two time-spatial labeling inversion pulses (T-SLIPs), for selective and non-contrast-enhanced (non-CE) visualization of the portal vein.Materials And MethodsTwenty healthy volunteers were examined using half-Fourier FSE and true SSFP sequences on a 1.5T MRI system with two T-SLIPs, one placed on the liver and thorax, and the other on the lower abdomen. For quantitative analysis, vessel-to-liver contrast (Cv-l) ratios of the main portal vein (MPV), right portal vein (RPV), and left portal vein (LPV) were measured. The quality of visualization was also evaluated.ResultsIn both pulse sequences, selective visualization of the portal vein was successfully conducted in all 20 volunteers. Quantitative evaluation showed significantly better Cv-l at the RPVs and LPVs in half-Fourier FSE (P < 0.0001). At the MPV, Cv-l was better in true SSFP, but was not statistically different. Visualization scores were significantly better only at branches of segments four and eight for half-Fourier FSE (P = 0.001 and 0.03, respectively).ConclusionBoth 3D half-Fourier FSE and true SSFP scans with T-SLIPs enabled selective non-CE visualization of the portal vein. Half-Fourier FSE was considered appropriate for intrahepatic portal vein visualization, and true SSFP may be preferable when visualization of the MPV is required.

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