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Separation of arteries and veins using flow-induced phase effects in contrast-enhanced MRA of the lower extremities

Svensson, Jonas LU ; Leander, Peter LU ; Maki, Jeffrey H ; Ståhlberg, Freddy LU and Olsson, Lars E LU orcid (2002) In Magnetic Resonance Imaging 20(1). p.49-57
Abstract

In 3-D contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography of the lower extremities the goal is most often to enhance arterial structures while keeping veins and surrounding tissue unenhanced. Imaging during steady-state concentration of a blood pool agent or during poor timing of an extra-cellular contrast medium may result in simultaneous venous enhancement, making interpretation of the angiogram difficult. The aim of this study was to develop a post-processing method to separate the arteries from the veins in standard contrast-enhanced MR angiograms. The method was based on the different accumulation of flow-induced phase in the arteries and veins of the lower extremities. The method was tested in both phantom experiments and... (More)

In 3-D contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography of the lower extremities the goal is most often to enhance arterial structures while keeping veins and surrounding tissue unenhanced. Imaging during steady-state concentration of a blood pool agent or during poor timing of an extra-cellular contrast medium may result in simultaneous venous enhancement, making interpretation of the angiogram difficult. The aim of this study was to develop a post-processing method to separate the arteries from the veins in standard contrast-enhanced MR angiograms. The method was based on the different accumulation of flow-induced phase in the arteries and veins of the lower extremities. The method was tested in both phantom experiments and volunteers undergoing 3-D contrast-enhanced MR angiography using both an extra-cellular contrast medium and a blood pool agent. In the phantom studies, opposite directional flow was successfully separated at mean flow velocities as low as 9 cm/s. In the volunteer studies, the larger veins were successfully extinguished while the larger arteries were left unaffected. In smaller vessels with low flow velocities the separation was less successful. This was most apparent in vessels not oriented superior-inferior. The method developed here is promising for separating arteries from veins in contrast-enhanced MR angiography although the results could be further improved by either a different pulse sequence design or combining this method with other segmentation methods.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Arteries, Blood Flow Velocity, Contrast Media, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Imaging, Three-Dimensional, Leg, Magnetic Resonance Angiography, Models, Theoretical, Phantoms, Imaging, Veins
in
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
volume
20
issue
1
pages
9 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:0036227079
  • pmid:11973029
ISSN
0730-725X
DOI
10.1016/S0730-725X(02)00479-4
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
acd574ca-a60f-4a20-bf8b-3e5c69f304ed
date added to LUP
2016-08-16 12:13:09
date last changed
2024-02-02 21:58:12
@article{acd574ca-a60f-4a20-bf8b-3e5c69f304ed,
  abstract     = {{<p>In 3-D contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography of the lower extremities the goal is most often to enhance arterial structures while keeping veins and surrounding tissue unenhanced. Imaging during steady-state concentration of a blood pool agent or during poor timing of an extra-cellular contrast medium may result in simultaneous venous enhancement, making interpretation of the angiogram difficult. The aim of this study was to develop a post-processing method to separate the arteries from the veins in standard contrast-enhanced MR angiograms. The method was based on the different accumulation of flow-induced phase in the arteries and veins of the lower extremities. The method was tested in both phantom experiments and volunteers undergoing 3-D contrast-enhanced MR angiography using both an extra-cellular contrast medium and a blood pool agent. In the phantom studies, opposite directional flow was successfully separated at mean flow velocities as low as 9 cm/s. In the volunteer studies, the larger veins were successfully extinguished while the larger arteries were left unaffected. In smaller vessels with low flow velocities the separation was less successful. This was most apparent in vessels not oriented superior-inferior. The method developed here is promising for separating arteries from veins in contrast-enhanced MR angiography although the results could be further improved by either a different pulse sequence design or combining this method with other segmentation methods.</p>}},
  author       = {{Svensson, Jonas and Leander, Peter and Maki, Jeffrey H and Ståhlberg, Freddy and Olsson, Lars E}},
  issn         = {{0730-725X}},
  keywords     = {{Arteries; Blood Flow Velocity; Contrast Media; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Leg; Magnetic Resonance Angiography; Models, Theoretical; Phantoms, Imaging; Veins}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{49--57}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Magnetic Resonance Imaging}},
  title        = {{Separation of arteries and veins using flow-induced phase effects in contrast-enhanced MRA of the lower extremities}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0730-725X(02)00479-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/S0730-725X(02)00479-4}},
  volume       = {{20}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}