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DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2493080209
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(Radiology 2008;249:980-990.)
© RSNA, 2008

Neuroradiology

Supraaortic Arteries: Contrast Material Dose Reduction at 3.0-T High-Spatial-Resolution MR Angiography—Feasibility Study1

Anderanik Tomasian, MD, Noriko Salamon, MD, Derek G. Lohan, MD, Mehdi Jalili, MD, J. Pablo Villablanca, MD, and J. Paul Finn, MD

1 From the Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Suite 3371, Peter V. Ueberroth Building, 10945 Le Conte Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7206. Received January 31, 2008; revision requested March 25; revision received April 23; accepted May 29; final version accepted July 1. Address correspondence to A.T. (e-mail: atomasian{at}mednet.ucla.edu).

Purpose: To evaluate and compare the diagnostic image quality resulting from three contrast agent dose regimens for 3.0-T high-spatial-resolution three-dimensional magnetic resonance (MR) angiography of the supraaortic arteries.

Materials and Methods: Institutional review board approval was obtained; informed consent was waived for this HIPAA-compliant study. One hundred twenty consecutive patients who underwent 3.0-T three-dimensional high-spatial-resolution contrast material–enhanced MR angiography of the supraaortic arteries with an identical acquisition protocol were assigned to either the high-dose (0.154 mmol per kilogram of body weight), intermediate-dose (0.097 mmol/kg), or low-dose (0.047 mmol/kg) group. Two readers evaluated resulting images for arterial definition, venous contamination, and arterial stenosis. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were evaluated at six consistent sites. Statistical analysis was performed with the Kruskal-Wallis, Wilcoxon signed rank, and analysis of variance tests and the {kappa} coefficient.

Results: Readers 1 and 2 scored vascular definition as excellent or sufficient for diagnosis in 1311 of 1360 segments and in 1313 of 1360 segments in the high-dose group ({kappa} = 0.73), in 1321 of 1354 and in 1319 of 1354 segments in the intermediate-dose group ({kappa} = 0.77), and in 1322 of 1350 and in 1320 of 1350 segments in the low-dose group ({kappa}= 0.66), respectively. Arterial occlusive disease was detected by reader 1 in 52, 27, and 98 segments in the high-, intermediate-, and low-dose groups, respectively. Arterial occlusive disease was detected by reader 2 in 48, 25, and 100 segments in high-, intermediate-, and low-dose groups, respectively. No significant difference existed among the three groups regarding arterial definition scores (reader 1, P = .21; reader 2, P = .25) and venous contamination scores (reader 1, P = .38; reader 2, P = .35). SNRs and CNRs were lower in the low-dose group (P < .01).

Conclusion: At 3.0 T, high-spatial-resolution MR angiography of the supraaortic arteries can be performed with contrast agent doses as low as 0.047 mmol/kg, without compromising image quality, acquisition speed, or spatial resolution.

Supplemental material:
http://radiology.rsnajnls.org/cgi/content/full/249/3/980/DC1
http://radiology.rsnajnls.org/cgi/content/full/249/3/980/DC2

© RSNA, 2008