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.
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.
Authors: K Murayama; S Suzuki; H Nagata; J Oda; I Nakahara; K Katada; K Fujii; H Toyama Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 2019-12-19 Impact factor: 3.825