Contrast-enhanced carotid MR angiography. Imaging principles and physics.

Arterial contrast enhancement on MR angiography images is dependent on the adequate timing of the contrast bolus arrival to the acquisition of the center of k-space. Different strategies for achieving this goal are described. The more advanced techniques are aimed at making the detection of the peak arrival and the start of data acquisition more robust in order to generate images with maximal arterial-background contrast with minimal venous signal contamination.