• Hiromitsu Hayashi, Yuji Yuasa, Yasuo Amano, Akihiro Tanimoto, Yoko Saito, Kunihiro Yoshioka, Miho Kita, Tatsuo Kumazaki, and Kyoichi Hiramatsu.
• Department of Radiology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan. MLB00941@nifty.com
• J Magn Reson Imaging. 2008 Sep 1; 28 (3): 783-90.

PurposeTo determine the appropriate dose of contrast medium for moving-table MR angiography (MT-MRA) from the abdominal aorta to the ankle by comparing visualization with different doses of meglumine gadopentetate (Gd-DTPA) administered in crossover fashion to normal volunteers.Materials And MethodsTwelve healthy adults underwent imaging after crossover administration of 0.1 and 0.2 mmol/kg of Gd-DTPA in random order. Continuous MT-MRA was performed with a fast 3D spoiled gradient echo sequence without parallel imaging technique. Visualization was evaluated in a total of 252 arteries by three blinded readers who independently rated arterial visualization using a 5-grade scale. Signal intensity was determined and the blood concentration of Gd-DTPA was estimated.ResultsArterial visualization in the lower leg region was significantly better with a dose of 0.2 mmol/kg than with 0.1 mmol/kg (P<0.001). For all regions assessed the estimated blood Gd-DTPA level was significantly higher with 0.2 mmol/kg than with 0.1 mmol/kg (abdominal aorta, P=0.030; superficial femoral artery, P<0.001; posterior tibial artery, P=0.039). The vascular signal enhancement ratio and artery-to-muscle signal ratio were significantly higher in the upper leg and lower leg regions at 0.2 mmol/kg.ConclusionWith continuous MT-MRA imaging from the abdomen to the ankle in normal volunteers, better arterial visualization and superior contrast were achieved with 0.2 mmol/kg of Gd-DTPA.Copyright (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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