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(Radiology. 2000;217:115-118.)
© RSNA, 2000

Vascular and Interventional Radiology

Suppression of Intravascular Signal on Fat-saturated Contrast-enhanced Thoracic MR Arteriograms1

Evan S. Siegelman, MD, Riad Charafeddine, MD, Alan H. Stolpen, MD, PhD and Leon Axel, MD, PhD

1 From the Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, 3400 Spruce St, 1st Floor Founders—MRI, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283. From the 1999 RSNA scientific assembly. Received June 28, 1999; revision requested August 4; revision received February 7, 2000; accepted February 22. Address correspondence to E.S.S. (e-mail: siegelm@oasis.rad.upenn.edu).

PURPOSE: To assess the prevalence of artifactual signal intensity loss within the aortic arch and proximal branch vessels on fat-saturated contrast material–enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) arteriograms of the thoracic aorta and to hypothesize about the cause of the loss of signal intensity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January and June 1998, 105 consecutive MR arteriograms of the thoracic aorta were acquired in 103 patients at 1.5 T. Imaging included an arterial phase three-dimensional (3D) fat-saturated contrast-enhanced gradient-echo (GRE) sequence followed by a delayed two-dimensional (2D) transverse fat-saturated GRE sequence. All MR images were reviewed by two radiologists who were blinded to patient history and results of imaging studies and who evaluated the images for the presence of intraluminal loss of signal intensity in the aortic arch and the proximal branch vessels.

RESULTS: Intravascular loss of signal intensity was present in at least one vessel on 23 of the 105 arterial phase 3D studies. Seventy-one of 91 left subclavian arterial segments had loss of signal intensity on the delayed 2D studies.

CONCLUSION: Intravascular signal intensity loss can be present on contrast-enhanced fat-saturated images of the aortic arch and proximal branch vessels, particularly the left subclavian artery. This phenomenon, which is to the authors’ knowledge previously unreported and which is hypothesized to result from undesired water saturation, should not be misinterpreted as stenotic or occlusive vascular disease.

Index terms: Magnetic resonance (MR), artifact, 562.93, 912.93, 942.93 • Magnetic resonance (MR), chemical shift, 562.121414, 912.129414, 942.129414 • Magnetic resonance (MR), contrast enhancement, 562.12143, 912.12943, 942.12943 • Magnetic resonance (MR), fat suppression, 562.129415, 912.129415, 942.129415 • Magnetic resonance (MR), maximum intensity projection, 562.12142, 912.12942, 942.12942 • Magnetic resonance (MR), vascular studies, 562.12142, 912.12942, 942.12942




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L. Axel, L. Kolman, R. Charafeddine, S. N. Hwang, and A. H. Stolpen
Origin of a Signal Intensity Loss Artifact in Fat-Saturation MR Imaging
Radiology, December 1, 2000; 217(3): 911 - 915.
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