Effect of dose bisection at 3 Tesla on contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography of the renal arteries

C. U. Herborn; D. M. Watkins; J. M. Gendron; L. G. Naul; V. M. Runge

doi:10.1055/s-2006-931870

RöFo - Fortschritte auf dem Gebiet der Röntgenstrahlen und der bildgebenden Verfahren, Table of Contents

Effect of dose bisection at 3 Tesla on contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography of the renal arteries

CU Herborn ¹^,², DM Watkins ¹, JM Gendron ¹, LG Naul ¹, VM Runge ¹

¹Department of Radiology, Scott and White Clinic and Hospital, Temple, TX, USA
²Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany

Abstract

Purpose: To prospectively and intraindividually compare 0.1 mmol/kg gadodiamide at 3.0T with 0.2 mmol/kg gadodiamide at 1.5T for magnetic resonance (MR) angiography of the renal arteries.

Methods: Institutional review board approval was granted and patients signed informed consent before enrollment. 22 patients (14 men, 8 women; mean age, 66.5 years) underwent two MR angiographic examinations of the renal arteries separated by 24 hours on a respective whole-body 1.5T and 3.0T MR system in random order applying a phase-encoded three-dimensional spoiled breath-hold pulse sequence. Two radiologists blinded to the particular dose assessed all image data in consensus for renal artery disease as well as for image quality on a five-point Likert-type scale. Quantitative evaluation (vessel signal-to-noise ratio, SNR, and vessel-muscle contrast-to-noise ratio, CNR) was performed by an additional radiologist.

Results: Five renal artery stenoses were detected with both techniques. Mean image quality did not show any statistically significant differences between the two doses and field strength, respectively. However, SNR and CNR values showed statistically significant difference with the greater dose at 1.5T as compared to the lower dose at 3.0T (125.7 vs. 112.3; 64.2 vs. 59.7; both p<0.05).

Conclusion: A dose of 0.1 mmol/kg gadodiamide for contrast-enhanced renal MR angiography at 3.0T permits detection of renal disease with image quality as acquired with 0.2 mmol/kg gadodiamide at 1.5T.