Thin-Section Multidetector CT Angiography of Renal Artery Stents

OBJECTIVE. This study was undertaken as a pilot investigation to compare multidetector CT angiography with conventional catheter angiography for the visualization of the renal artery lumen after renal artery stent placement.SUBJECTS AND METHODS. CT angiography was performed within 24-48 hr of renal artery stent placement in 15 patients. Two patients had bilateral stens, resulting in a total of 17 stents. CT angiography was performed using a multidetector scanner and a bolus of IV contrast material with the scanning delay determined by a small-volume timing bolus. A volumetric data set was acquired through the stented arteries in the axial plane using a 4.0 × 1.25 mm detector configuration and a pitch of 3:1. The stent lumen diameter, as measured on direct CT angiography and curved multiplanar reformations in both the axial and coronal planes, was compared with that measured on catheter angiography.RESULTS. The lumina of all 17 stents were well visualized and patent on both CT angiography and catheter angi...