Determinants of image appearance in contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography. A review.

The use of contrast agents in magnetic resonance (MR) studies of vascular pathology has permitted the exploration of regions that were heretofore poorly evaluated with conventional magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). An important feature of contrast-enhanced MRA (CE-MRA) is the very short acquisition times that are possible. The determination of the parameters to be used in a CE-MRA study rests on an understanding of the dynamics of the passage of the injected contrast agent and the response of the magnetization to the parameters of the MR imaging sequence. An overview of this interaction is presented.