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Combined use of the intravascular blood‐pool agent, gadomer, and carbon dioxide: A novel type of double‐contrast magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)
Author(s) -
Maes Robbert M.,
Lewin Jonathan S.,
Duerk Jeffrey L.,
Wacker Frank K.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.20304
Subject(s) - medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , magnetic resonance angiography , catheter , angiography , radiology , contrast medium , blood flow , gadolinium , contrast (vision) , nuclear medicine , chemistry , computer science , artificial intelligence , organic chemistry
Purpose To evaluate the combined use of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and a gadolinium‐based blood‐pool agent for magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Materials and Methods After an initial intravenous injection of the blood‐pool agent Gadomer (Schering AG, Germany), repeated transcatheter CO 2 injections were performed in the aorta and the renal arteries of two fully‐anesthetized pigs. Real‐time images were acquired using a true fast imaging with steady‐state precession (FISP) sequence. Results During the CO 2 injections, the Gadomer‐enhanced blood was totally replaced, resulting in an immediate, temporary, total signal loss in the vessel lumen. Susceptibility artifacts during the injections or catheter manipulations rarely occurred. Conclusion Due to T1‐shortening, the circulating blood‐pool agent prevents flow artifacts during catheter manipulations because the steady‐state is reached much earlier. Therefore, this double‐contrast MRA method improves catheter conspicuity and might be helpful for guiding and controlling intravascular procedures during interventional MRI. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2005;21:645–649. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.