Highly undersampled supraaortic MRA at 3.0 T: initial results with parallel imaging in two directions using a 16-channel neurovascular coil and parallel imaging factors up to 16

Kukuk, Guido M.; Hadizadeh, Dariusch R.; Gieseke, Jürgen; von Falkenhausen, Marcus; Böhm, Ingrid; Semrau, Renate; Urbach, Horst; Koscielny, Arne; Verrel, Frauke; Wilhelm, Kai; Schild, Hans H.; Willinek, Winfried A.

doi:10.1016/j.mri.2010.06.008

« Previous Next »Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Volume 28, Issue 9 , Pages 1311-1318, November 2010

Highly undersampled supraaortic MRA at 3.0 T: initial results with parallel imaging in two directions using a 16-channel neurovascular coil and parallel imaging factors up to 16

Guido M. Kukuk
- Department of Radiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +49 22828715960; fax: +49 22828715598.
Dariusch R. Hadizadeh
- Department of Radiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany
Jürgen Gieseke
- Department of Radiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany
- Philips Healthcare, 5680 Best, The Netherlands
Marcus von Falkenhausen
- Department of Radiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany
Ingrid Böhm
- Department of Radiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany
Renate Semrau
- Department of Radiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany
Horst Urbach
- Department of Radiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany
Arne Koscielny
- Department of Surgery, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
Frauke Verrel
- Department of Surgery, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
Kai Wilhelm
- Department of Radiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany
Hans H. Schild
- Department of Radiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany
Winfried A. Willinek
- Department of Radiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany

Received 30 December 2009; received in revised form 10 March 2010; accepted 10 June 2010. published online 09 August 2010.

Abstract

Purpose

To present the feasibility of highly undersampled contrast-enhanced MRA (CE-MRA) of the supraaortic arteries with a 16-channel neurovascular coil at 3.0 T using parallel imaging in two directions with parallel imaging factors (PIF) up to 16.

Materials and Methods

Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained. In a prospective study, MRA protocols including PIF of 1, 2, 4, 9 and 16 yielding a spatial resolution from 0.81×0.81×1.0 mm³ to 0.46×.46×0.98 mm³ were acquired. In 32 examinations, image quality and vascular segments were rated independently by two radiologists. SNR estimations were performed for all MRA protocols.

Results

The use of high PIF allowed to shorten acquisition time from 2:09 min down to 1:13 min and to increase the anatomic coverage while maintaining or even increasing spatial resolution down to 0.46×0.46×0.98 mm³. The larger anatomic coverage that was achieved with the use of high PIF allowed for visualization of vascular structures that were not covered by the standard protocols. Despite the resulting lower SNR using high PIF, image quality was constantly rated to be adequate for diagnosis or better in all cases.

Conclusion

The use of high PIF yielded diagnostic image quality and allowed to increase the anatomic coverage while maintaining or even improving spatial resolution and shortening the acquisition time.

Keywords: MRA, 3.0 Tesla, Supraaortic arteries, Parallel imaging, Sensitivity encoding