[Magnetic resonance angiography without contrast agents].

BACKGROUND

The use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents should be minimized in MR angiography.

OBJECTIVE

Overview of existing native MRI techniques for MR angiography MATERIAL AND METHODS: Native MRI angiography uses the fact that unsaturated flowing blood is hyperintense to static tissue (time-of-flight MRA), that blood flow induces a detectable phase shift (phase contrast MRA), that labeling by selective inversion can dynamically image a bolus passage (arterial spin labeling) and that special MRI sequences exist which utilize the contrast properties of blood.

CONCLUSION

Native MRI angiography, if properly selected, can reliably delineate vessels such as cerebral arteries and coronary arteries and can provide additional information about the flow dynamics.