Visualization of Lenticulostriate Arteries at 3T: Optimization of Slice-selective Off-resonance Sinc Pulse-prepared TOF-MRA and Its Comparison with Flow-sensitive Black-blood MRA

Sachi Okuchi, Tomohisa Okada*, Koji Fujimoto, Yasutaka Fushimi, Aki Kido, Akira Yamamoto, Mitsunori Kanagaki, Toshiki Dodo, Taha M. Mehemed, Mitsue Miyazaki, Xiangzhi Zhou, Kaori Togashi

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

Rationale and Objectives: To optimize visualization of lenticulostriate artery (LSA) by time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) with slice-selective off-resonance sinc (SORS) saturation transfer contrast pulses and to compare capability of optimal TOF-MRA and flow-sensitive black-blood (FSBB) MRA to visualize the LSA at 3T. Materials and Methods: This study was approved by the local ethics committee, and written informed consent was obtained from all the subjects. TOF-MRA was optimized in 20 subjects by comparing SORS pulses of different flip angles: 0, 400°, and 750°. Numbers of LSAs were counted. The optimal TOF-MRA was compared to FSBB-MRA in 21 subjects. Images were evaluated by the numbers and length of visualized LSAs. Results: LSAs were significantly more visualized in TOF-MRA with SORS pulses of 400° than others (P < .003). When the optimal TOF-MRA was compared to FSBB-MRA, the visualization of LSA using FSBB (mean branch numbers 11.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 10.0-12.1; mean total length 236 mm, 95% CI 210-263 mm) was significantly better than using TOF (4.7, 95% CI 4.1-5.3; 78 mm, 95% CI 67-89 mm) for both numbers and length of the LSA (P < .0001). Conclusions: LSA visualization was best with 400° SORS pulses for TOF-MRA but FSBB-MRA was better than TOF-MRA, which indicates its clinical potential to investigate the LSA on a 3T magnetic resonance imaging.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)812-816
Number of pages5
JournalAcademic Radiology
Volume21
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014/06

Keywords

  • Flow-sensitive black-blood
  • Lenticulostriate artery
  • MR angiography
  • Saturation transfer contrast
  • Slice-selective off-resonance sinc pulse

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging

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