[Evaluation of time of flight MR angiography for stenotic arterial lesions: including comparison of maximum intensity projection and volume rendering technique].

To evaluate the usefulness of time of flight MR angiography (MRA) for stenotic arterial lesions, 25 patients were examined in the neck and 28 patients in the pelvis and lower extremities with a GE SIGNA system. MR angiograms were reconstructed with maximum intensity projection (MIP) and/or volume rendering (VR) technique using a CEMAX-VIP station, and compared with contrast angiograms. Stenotic grade according to MRA correlated well with that of contrast angiography, and MRA had an accuracy of 91.9% in the neck and 94.2% in the pelvis and lower extremities, for detecting stenosis of 50% or greater. MRA reconstructed from sagittal sections was efficacious in the diagnosis of subclavian artery lesions. In demonstrating distal recanalization of occlusive arteries, MRA was superior to contrast angiography. MIP images demonstrated peripheral vessels more clearly than volume rendering images, but VR images were able to display the anterio-posterior location of vessels correctly, something that was not feasible with MIP. Furthermore, 3-dimensional images were able to be observed in any direction using the CEMAX-VIP station. In conclusion, MRA was useful for stenotic arterial lesions, and volume rendering display was considered to be useful for evaluation of vessel overlap.