Whole-body MR angiography using a novel 32-receiving-channel MR system with surface coil technology: First clinical experience

Purpose: To demonstrate the feasibility of detecting atherosclerotic vascular disease using an innovative magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) protocol in combination with a dedicated whole-body MR scanner with new surface coil technology. Materials and Methods: A total of 10 volunteers and eight patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) were examined at 1.5 T. Conventional digital subtraction angiography (DSA) of the symptomatic region was available as a reference standard in all eight patients. Depending on subjects' size, four to five three-dimensional data sets were acquired using an adapted injection protocol. Images were assessed independently by two readers for vascular pathology. Additionally, signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) were measured. Results: Whole-body MRA yielded excellent sensitivity and specificity of more than 95% for both readers with high interobserver agreement (k = 0.93). Surface coil signal reception rendered a high SNR (mean 151.28 +/- 54.04) and CNR (mean 120.75 +/- 46.47). Despite lower SNR and CNR of the cranial and cervical vessels, a two-step injection protocol exhibited less venous superposition and therefore proved to be superior compared to single-bolus injection. Conclusion: Our approach provides accurate noninvasive high-resolution imaging of systemic atherosclerotic disease, covering the arterial vasculature from intracranial arteries to distal runoff vessels. The recently introduced MR scanner and coil technology is feasible to significantly increase the performance of whole-body MRA.