Korean J Radiol.  2000 Jun;1(2):91-97. 10.3348/kjr.2000.1.2.91.

Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography: Dose the Test Dose Bolus Represent the Main Dose Bolus Accurately?

• Lee JJ
• Chang YM
• Kang DS

• KMID: 966479
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/kjr.2000.1.2.91

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the time-intensity curves acquired by test and main dose contrast injections for MR angiography are similar. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 11 patients, repeated contrast-enhanced 2D-turbo-FLASH scans with 1-sec interval were obtained. Both test and main dose time-intensity curves were acquired from the abdominal aorta, and the parameters of time-intensity curves for the test and main boluses were compared. The parame-ters used were arterial and venous enhancement times, arterial peak enhance-ment time, arteriovenous circulation time, enhancement duration and enhance-ment expansion ratio. RESULTS: Between the main and test boluses, arterial and venous enhance-ment times and arteriovenous circulation time showed statistically significant correlation (p < 0.01), with correlation coefficients of 0.95, 0.92 and 0.98 respectively. Although the enhancement duration was definitely greater than infusion time, reasonable measurement of the end enhancement point in the main bolus was impossible. CONCLUSION: Only arterial and venous enhancement times and arteriovenous circulation time of the main bolus could be predicted from the test-bolus results. The use of these reliable parameters would lead to improvements in the scan timing method for MR angiography.

Keyword

Magnetic resonance (MR),angiography; Magnetic resonance (MR),contrast enhancement; Aorta, MR

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aorta, Abdominal/anatomy & histology
Contrast Media/*administration & dosage
Female
Gadolinium DTPA/*administration & dosage/diagnostic use
Human
Magnetic Resonance Angiography/*methods
Male
Time Factors

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Arterial (solid line) and venous (dotted line) time-intensity curves acquired from a 66-year-old female. A. For the test-bolus study, 2 ml of contrast medium was injected at a rate of 3 ml / sec. Tae, Tp, Tve, and ED were 13, 18, 35, and 17 seconds, respectively. The calculated values of Tav and EER obtained from the above data were 22 sec and 25.76. B. For the main-bolus study, 12 ml of contrast medium was injected at a rate of 3 ml / sec. Tae, Tp, and Tve were 14, 25, and 36 seconds, respectively, and Tav was 22 sec. ED could not be measured on this graph due to the uncertain end-point of enhancement. It is certain, however, that the duration of arterial enhancement was markedly greater (4 secs) than that of the infusion of contrast media. Tae = Arterial enhancement time, Tp = Arterial peak enhancement time, Tve = Venous enhancement time, ED = Enhancement duration, Tav = Arteriovenous circulation time, EER = Enhancement expansion ratio.

• 

  Fig. 2 Each parameter of the main and test-bolus studies. A. Arterial enhancement times of both studies show excellent correlation. B. Arteriovenous circulation times also show good correlation between both studies. C. Plots of arterial peak enhancement time shifted toward the Y-axis, implying a definite delay in the main-bolus study as compared with the test-bolus study. Both studies also show widely spread data, with poor correlation.

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