Clinical Application of MR Angiography of Whole Lower Extremity Artery

Objective: To determine the role of three dimensional contrast-enhanced MR angiography(3D CE-MRA) in evaluating the peripheral arterial occlusive disease.Methods: 3D CE-MRA examinations of pelvic and whole lower extremity arteries were performed at 3.0 Tesla MR system in 43 symptomatic patients.Artificial subtraction of source images,reconstruction of maximum intensity projection(MIP) and pasting of three segments in the post-processing software were done step by step,and the vasculature trees of the whole pelvic and lower leg arteries with variable views were obtained.Results: 3D CE-MRA scanning and post-processing editing were successfully completed in 42 patients(98%),arterial vasculature was showed clearly and image was qualified for evaluating the disease.One examination failed due to poor cooperation and severe illness of the patient.Conclusion: 3D CE-MRA provided useful information in clinically diagnosing and managing the peripheral arterial occlusive disease.