Susceptibility-weighted imaging: clinical angiographic applications.

By combining filtered phase and magnitude information to create a novel and intrinsic source of contrast, susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) has shown great promise in clinical angiography and venography. SWI has contributed to new insights into traumatic brain injury, the role of calcification in atherosclerosis, and the possible relationship between blood settling and deep venous thrombosis. A further contribution from SWI to deep venous thrombosis research (and also stroke) involves its application to the noninvasive measurement of oxygen saturation in the brain and in other tissues. Altogether, SWI offers manifold and diverse avenues for further research using angiographic and venographic techniques.