Gadolinium-enhanced magnitude contrast MR angiography of popliteal and tibial arteries

To evaluate the efficacy of gadopentetate dimeglumine in MR angiography of the lower extremities, a flow phantom, seven healthy volunteers, and seven patients with peripheral vascular disease were studied with a magnitude contrast (MC) technique. The combination of an MC rephase-dephase gradient-refocused-echo pulse sequence, a 40-cm-long transmit-receive coil, and intravenous administration of a bolus of gadopentetate dimeglumine improved MR angiographic quality in the phantom, volunteers, and patients. Gadolinium enhancement decreased deleterious saturation effects and improved images of the popliteal and tibioperoneal arteries in the volunteers and patients. However, in some cases, venous overlap, imaging artifacts, and suboptimal visualization of subtle lesions limited interpretation. The authors conclude that gadolinium enhancement combined with an MC subtraction pulse sequence appreciably improves MR angiography of lower extremity arteries.