Arterial-phase three-dimensional contrast-enhanced MR angiography of the carotid arteries

The purpose of this study was to evaluate IV injection of a single dose of gadopentetate dimeglumine for three-dimensional (3D) arterial phase MR angiography of the carotid arteries.Nine adult patients were serially imaged after IV injection of a single-dose bolus of gadopentetate dimeglumine at 1.5 T with a coronal single-slice spoiled two-dimensional (2D) gradient-echo acquisition encompassing the common carotid arteries and internal jugular veins. Region-of-interest measurements for the nine patients generated a composite arteriovenous signal versus time profile. The time interval of maximum arteriovenous signal difference was subsequently matched to the center of K-space in a 3D spoiled gradient-echo coronal MR angiography sequence (field of view, 24 or 26 cm; matrix size, 256 x 128; slice thickness, 3 mm; number of slices, 12; one excitation; bandwidth, 16 kHz; and scan time, 29 sec). This protocol allowed us to selectively enhance the arterial phase for carotid angiography. The protocol was then tes...