Magnetic resonance angiography of peripheral arteries of the hand and its clinical usefulness

We established requirements for display of peripheral arteries and veins of the hand on magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in normal adults. We performed MRA in 20 normal adult volunteers and 3 patients using the same method and parameters and obtained useful clinical examinations. Few studies have evaluated the use of MRA in the hand, especially for peripheral arteries and veins, because of problems of vessel diameter, velocity blood flow, and computer memory capacity. The diagnostic accuracy of MRA is largely dependent on the MR equipment, MR technique, ray-tracing technique, film reading system, and the skill of the MRA film reader. Because MRA methods are not standardized, optimal methods must be determined that produce the accurate information needed for diagnosis of disease. In 20 normal adults, the following MRA parameters allowed us to consistently visualize the peripheral arteries and veins: flip angle, 90deg; TR, 35; TE, 16; slice thickness, 2 mm; FOV, 170; NSA, 2; acquisition matrix, 141 x 256; and room temperature, 22degC. We were able to obtain clear MRA images by the multiple slide slice method, which corrects a weakness of usual methods of display. Results of MRA examinations with our methods and parameters in 20 normal adult volunteers and 3 patients suggest that MRA is safe and useful for clinical examination of the hand. (author)