Non-enhanced ECG-gated respiratory-triggered 3-D steady-state free-precession MR angiography with slab-selective inversion

BACKGROUND: ECG-gated non-enhanced balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) MR angiography requires neither breath-holding nor administration of contrast material.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the image quality of free-breathing ECG-gated non-enhanced bSSFP MR angiography of renal arteries in children.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen boys and seven girls (mean age, 9.7 years; range, 7 weeks-17 years) with no history of renovascular disease were included. MRI was performed at 1.5 T. Subjective image quality of axial and coronal maximum-intensity-projection reconstructions of four segments (I, aorta and renal artery ostium; II, main renal artery; III, segmental branches; IV, intrarenal vessels) was evaluated using a 4-point scale (4 = excellent, 3 = good, 2 = acceptable, 1 = non-diagnostic).

RESULTS: Image quality was excellent for segments I (mean ± SD, 3.9 ± 0.3) and II (4.0 ± 0.1), good for segment III (3.4 ± 0.9) and acceptable for segment IV (2.3 ± 1.1 ). Mean image quality did not differ between sedated and non-sedated children.

CONCLUSION: bSSFP MR angiography enables visualisation of renal arteries in children.