Projection arteriography and venography: initial clinical results with MR

Motion currently limits the applications of magnetic resonance (MR) angiography in certain regions of the body. To overcome this problem, a series of breath-hold, two-dimensional, flow-compensated gradient-echo images were acquired. These images were then processed by means of the maximum intensity projection algorithm to produce projection angiograms. The method was evaluated in 10 healthy subjects and in 12 patients and validated by comparing conventional angiograms, contrast material-enhanced computed tomographic scans, and duplex sonograms with MR projection arteriograms and venograms of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis. The aorta and pulmonary arteries and their branches were demonstrated, as was detailed anatomy of the hepatic and portal venous systems and inferior vena cava. Renal arteries and veins could be studied in both native and transplanted kidneys. The method permits determination of flow direction and differentiation of arteries and veins and is superior to three-dimensional acquisition techniques for imaging slow blood flow. Initial results suggest that the method may have clinical applications for a variety of vascular disorders.