BACKGROUND: Some spine surgeons perform CT angiography for detailed planning of anterior access to the lumbar spine. However, the value of this imaging method and its influence on surgeons' decisions are unclear. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We determined (1) the dose of radiation used in preoperative CT angiography and (2) whether CT angiography ...

Muscle sparing TRAM flaps and DIEA perforator flaps are standard procedures for breast reconstruction. Recently CT-angiography has been established to evaluate perforator vessels pre-operatively. CT-angiography was introduced to our department in July 2009. In a retrospective analysis data of the last 20 patients (altogether 22 flaps) before CT-angiography introduction and ...

Detailed knowledge of the vascular anatomy of the anterior skull base is critical to successful surgery in this area. Whereas conventional neuronavigational approaches combine MRI (+/- contrast) for tumor visualization and CT (+/- C) for bony and vascular anatomy, we describe the Canadian and Austrian experiences using a novel protocol ...

AIM: We compared the clinical utility of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) to catheter cerebral angiography (CA) in the investigation of children with suspected central nervous system (CNS) vasculitis. METHOD: Single-centre retrospective review of children with a suspected diagnosis of CNS vasculitis studied with both MRA and CA. MRA and CA-detected ...

Primary arteritis of the central nervous system (CNS) comprises a heterogeneous group of CNS disorders, which is characterised by non-atheromatous inflammation and necrosis of the arterial wall. The clinical presentation is highly variable, with stroke being the most common manifestation. Conventional angiography is considered to be the best imaging tool ...

We describe the efficacy of time-resolved MR angiography in diagnosing a case of pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS). MR angiography, using four-dimensional (4D) TRAK (Time-Resolved Angiography using Keyhole) technique was used in an 81-year-old woman presenting with low backache, pelvic pain, and left pelvic fullness. Dynamic images were obtained in multiple ...

The aim of this study was to establish the imaging findings of the main branching patterns of the male internal iliac arteries, using different imaging modalities (angio MR, angio CT and digital angiography). Twenty-one males (mean age 73.2 years) underwent imaging evaluation with angio MR, angio CT and digital angiography ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: ICAS is one of the therapeutic options in symptomatic cerebral artery stenosis. iaDSA is the current criterion standard examination after ICAS for the detection of ISR. In this study, we evaluated ivACT as a potential noninvasive follow-up alternative. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 17 cases, ivACT and iaDSA ...

PURPOSE: To prospectively evaluate the diagnostic value of non-enhanced inflow-sensitive inversion recovery (IFIR) MR angiography for the detection of renal artery stenosis (RAS), with enhanced CT angiography performed as the reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty consecutive patients suspected of RAS underwent both of IFIR MR and enhanced CT angiography. ...

AIM: To analyze the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) angiography in the diagnosis of acute gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. METHODS: The MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cancerlit, Cochrane Library database, Sciencedirect, Springerlink and Scopus, from January 1995 to December 2009, were searched for studies evaluating the accuracy of CT angiography in diagnosing acute GI ...

INTRODUCTION: Carotid artery stenting (CAS) requires adequate follow-up imaging to assess complications such as in-stent stenosis or occlusion. Options include digital subtraction angiography, CT angiography, ultrasound, and MR angiography (MRA), which may offer a non-invasive option for CAS follow-up imaging. The aim of this study was to assess contrast-enhanced MRA ...

OBJECTIVE: As stents for treating intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis may develop in-stent re-stenosis (ISR) in up to 30%, follow-up imaging is mandatory. Residual stenosis (RS) is not rare. We evaluated an optimised Flat Detector CT protocol with intravenous contrast material application (i.v. FD-CTA) for non-invasive follow-up. METHODS: In 12 patients with ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic value of non-contrast-enhanced, 3D-high-resolution, ECG-gated, multi-step MR angiography (non-ceMRA) of the lower extremities using a modified turbo-spin-echo technique in comparison to 1.0-molar contrast-enhanced MR angiography (ceMRA) in patients with suspected peripheral vascular disease (PVD). METHODS: Fifty consecutive patients underwent non-ceMRA before ceMRA within the same ...

Celiac trunk variants and pathologies are relatively common occurrences. With the advent of computed tomography (CT) technology, these conditions are being diagnosed with an increased frequency even among asymptomatic patients. CT angiography is used noninvasively for preoperative staging and vascular mapping in patients with pancreatic and hepatobiliary neoplasm. Multidetector-row CT ...

Peripheral contrast-enhanced MR angiography is widely used for anatomical imaging of the arterial system of the lower limb. There are several pitfalls in the planning, acquisition, and interpretation of these studies that can result in the loss of important diagnostic information, as well as artefacts that can be misinterpreted as ...

OBJECTIVE: This prospective multicenter intraindividual crossover study was designed to compare gadobenate dimeglumine and gadofosveset trisodium at approved doses with respect to the image quality and diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) in the detection of clinically relevant renal artery stenosis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty-nine subjects (17 men, 22 ...

PURPOSE: To assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of state-of-the-art noninvasive diagnostic imaging strategies in patients with a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke who are suspected of having carotid artery stenosis (CAS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: All prospectively evaluated patients provided informed consent, and the local ethics committee approved this ...

Noninvasive molecular imaging of angiogenesis could play a critical role in the clinical management of peripheral vascular disease patients. The alpha(nu)beta(3)-integrin, a well-established biomarker of neovascular proliferation, is an ideal target for molecular imaging of angiogenesis. This study investigates whether MR molecular imaging with alpha(nu)beta(3)-integrin-targeted perfluorocarbon nanoparticles can detect the ...

Gadolinium-enhanced three-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography is a relatively new technique in the veterinary field. A mature dog with suspected patent ductus arteriosus underwent contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography at 1.0 T with a three-dimensional fast low-angle shot (FLASH) gradient-echo technique. Qualitatively, three-dimensional images of the ductus were particularly clear with surface ...

AIM: Imaging of the left atrium is regularly performed prior to pulmonary vein isolation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of contrast-enhanced high-resolution magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the left atrium using the blood-pool contrast agent gadofosveset trisodium in comparison to noncontrast MRA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The ability to perform neuroimaging on the angiography suite is important in making decisions during neurointerventions. Our aim was the evaluation of ACT as a fast available diagnostic tool during and after neuroendovascular procedures and the comparison of ACT with postinterventional MDCT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-four peri-interventional ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the long-term outcome of selective thrombolysis in patients with hypothenar hammer syndrome by 3.0-T magnetic resonance (MR) angiography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven patients (6 men, 1 woman; mean age, 58.6 +/- 14.4 years) were investigated. Long-term follow-up examinations (9-11 years post-interventional) were based on 3.0-T MR angiography. ...

Introduction: Noninvasive techniques such as duplex ultrasound (DU) and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) are valid alternatives in the preoperative evaluation of such patients. Our aim is to assess the diagnostic accuracy of CE-MRA and DU in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Methods: Forty consecutive patients underwent DU, hybrid ...

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE Prior to interventional neuroradiology procedures, many patients undergo noninvasive studies such as computed tomography angiography (CTA) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). The ability to use these studies during invasive neuroangiographic procedures reduces additional contrast and radiation exposure, and allows for the integration of extravascular imaging. METHOD Navigation roadmaps ...

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively compare test bolus and bolus tracking for the determination of scan delay of pulmonary dual-energy CT angiography in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 60 consecutive patients referred for CTA for exclusion of PE were randomized either into a test bolus group or into a ...

PURPOSE: Current computed tomography angiography (CTA) postprocessing tools do not support quantitative assessment of intravascular physiology. Dynamic volumetric CT, acquired at a sufficiently high temporal resolution, is ideal for such analysis. Following preliminary experiments in flow phantoms, we examine the segmentation of blood vessels from 4D CT angiography by curve ...

PURPOSE: To retrospectively assess the accuracy of angiography-based C-arm CT for the detection of extrahepatic shunting before SIRT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 30 patients (mean age: 64+/-12 years) with hypervascularized hepatic tumors underwent hepatic angiography, coil embolization of gastrointestinal collaterals and 99mTc-macroaggregated albumin (MAA) SPECT/CT before SIRT. Before MAA injection via ...

For preoperative evaluation of the vertebral artery (VA) at the craniovertebral junction, 3-dimensional (3-D) computed tomography (CT) angiography can simultaneously and precisely depict the location of the VA and the circumferential osseous tissues. However, this procedure has the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy, especially when patients have pre-existing renal impairment. We ...

This case demonstrates the benefit of CT angiography in procedure planning and device selection for percutaneous closure of Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm rupture. As there is no dedicated equipment for closure, appropriate device selection is paramount. Amplatzer Muscular VSD Occluder device was chosen based on the anatomy of the defect ...

OBJECTIVE: Exposure to contrast agents may cause nephrotoxicity. The safety of performing CT angiography without having knowledge of the baseline creatinine level in stroke patients treated with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) has not been established. METHODS: This is an observational cohort study, with a historical control group to evaluate the ...

PURPOSE: To determine the test characteristics of magnetic resonance (MR) angiography in the assessment of occlusion of aneurysms treated with coil placement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was an ethics committee-approved multicenter study. written informed consent was obtained in 311 patients with 343 aneurysms, who had been treated with coil placement ...

PURPOSE: To analyze the diagnostic effectiveness and application of computed tomographic (CT) angiography by using a new algorithm (hybrid CT angiography) in dural arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval was obtained for retrospectively postprocessing the raw data from CT angiography by using hybrid CT, which is ...

Intracranial vasospasm following surgical removal of intracranial tumours is rare. To our knowledge there have been no previously reported cases of delayed vasospasm occurring post debulking of epidermoid cysts. We report a case in which vasospasm led to established cerebral infarction 2 weeks postoperatively. MRI and serial magnetic resonance angiography ...

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of extravascular collateral findings during 64-slice CT angiography of the abdominal aorta (AA-CTA) and lower limbs (LL-CTA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The images of 536 AA-CTA and LL-CTA examinations performed for suspected aortic and peripheral vascular disease in 500 patients ...

Background: Computed tomography (CT) angiography is used for preoperative evaluation of living kidney donors, but its correlation with intraoperative findings during the transplant operation remains unknown. Methods: Between April 1997 and October 2008, 34 consecutive pairs of living kidney transplants were carried out. Conventional digital angiography was employed for the ...

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical value of low-dose prospective ECG-triggering dual-source CT (DSCT) angiography in infants and children with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) compared with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). METHODS: Thirty-five patients (mean age: 16 months, range: 2 months to 6 years; male 15; mean weight: 12 kg) underwent low-dose ...

PURPOSE: To retrospectively evaluate the performance of computed tomography (CT) angiography in the detection and localization of clinically active gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage of an unknown source. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-six CT angiograms were obtained in 74 patients with the clinical diagnosis of acute GI hemorrhage of an unknown source. Results ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of 0.1 mmol/kg gadodiamide administration for contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) in detecting hemodynamically relevant main stenosis (ie, > or = 50% or occlusion) of aortoiliac arteries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a multicenter, phase 3, controlled study, patients with suspected or proven peripheral ...

INTRODUCTION: The latest versions of spiral CT scanners have provided the radiologist with unparalleled capabilities for vascular imaging. Computed Tomographic Angiography (CTA) has the potential of revolutionizing vascular imaging and with evolving improvements may replace conventional angiography in the near future OBJECTIVE: To report our initial experience with CTA in ...

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain whether magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) can reliably detect synovial neovascularization in subjects with early inflammatory arthritis. METHODS: Subjects with 6 weeks to 6 months of clinical evidence of inflammatory hand arthritis had a radiograph, power Doppler ultrasound (PDU) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and contrast enhanced MRA ...

Renovascular disease (RVD) is an important cause of hypertension in children, as it often is amenable to potentially curative treatment. Imaging aimed at finding RVD therefore needs to have high sensitivity so as not to miss important findings. Digital subtraction angiography is the gold standard investigation. Doppler ultrasonography, computed tomography ...

Inversion-prepared pulse sequences can be used for noncontrast MR angiography (MRA) but suffer from long scan times when acquired using conventional nonaccelerated techniques. This work proposes a subtraction-based spin-labeling, three-dimensional fast inversion recovery MRA (FIR-MRA) method for imaging the intracranial arteries. FIR-MRA uses alternating cycles of nonselective and slab-selective inversions, ...

PURPOSE: To assess the role of three-dimensional (3D) contrast-enhanced, time-resolved MR angiography (CE TR MRA) in patients with intracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). METHODS: We studied 12 patient with intracranial AVMs on a 3.0T MR imaging system (Magentom TIM Trio, Siemens Medical Solutions, Erlangen, Germany) using 3D CE TR MRA with ...

Spinal magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is difficult to perform because of the size of the spinal cord vessels. High-field MR improves resolution and imaging speed. We examined 17 patients with spinal vascular diseases with dynamic contrast-enhanced three-dimensional MR sequences. In three patients, the artery of Adamkievicz could be seen; we ...

Acute gastrointestinal bleeding is a common medical emergency, which carries a significant mortality. CT Angiography is an important non-invasive diagnostic tool, which can be used to plan subsequent endovascular or surgical management. The cases presented demonstrate that a meticulous and systematic approach to image interpretation is necessary, in particular, to ...

INTRODUCTION: Direct carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF) is a direct communication between the internal carotid artery (ICA) and the cavernous sinus. Some patients treated with detachable balloons develop pseudoaneurysms or present with a true aneurysm recanalization in the cavernous ICA with poorly known long-term radiological and clinical progression. The objective of the ...

PURPOSE: To compare diagnostic accuracy between contrast-enhanced ultrasound (US) and computed tomographic (CT) angiography to detect changes in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) size and endoleaks during follow-up after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between May 2006 and December 2008, 83 patients were consecutively enrolled for contrast-enhanced US and ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: BOLD MR imaging combined with a technique for precision control of end-tidal pCO(2) was used to produce quantitative maps of CVR in patients with Moyamoya disease. The technique was validated against measures of disease severity by using conventional angiography; it then was used to study the relationship ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: It was demonstrated the some patients with stroke have intracranial stenosis of 50% or greater and the identification of intracranial arterial stenosis is extremely important in order to plan a correct therapeutical approach. The aim of this study was to assess the image quality and intertechnique agreement ...

PURPOSE: To clarify the benefits of unenhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography in planning uterine artery embolization (UAE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board, and the informed consent requirement was waived. Fifty-five consecutive women (mean age, 42 years; age range, 26-52 years) who underwent ...