Dynamic gadolinium‐enhanced three‐dimensional abdominal MR arteriography

The abdominal aorta and renal, visceral, and iliac arteries were evaluated in 16 patients with three‐dimensional Fourier transform imaging enhanced with gadopentetate dimeglumine. By imaging dynamically during the arterial phase of a 5‐minute injection (0.2 mmol/kg), highly significant (P < .0001) preferential arterial enhancement (signal‐to‐noise ratio ± standard deviation, 10 ± 0.9), with minimal enhancement of the inferior vena cava (5.1 ± 1.4) or background tissues (fat, 4.3 ± 0.7; muscle, 2.4 ± 0.5), was achieved in every patient. In six patients with angiographic and/or surgical correlation, 10 of 10 stenoses and two of two occlusions were correctly identified. No inplane saturation or pulsatility artifact was identified in any of the 16 patients. In conclusion, dynamic imaging during the injection of gadopentetate dimeglumine is a promising technique for evaluation of the abdominal aorta and branch vessels.