Purpose: To minimize venous overlay at the calf station in contrast‐enhanced three‐dimensional (3D) stepping‐table magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) using a continuous cuff‐compression technique during MR data acquisition.
Material and Methods: Within 14 months, 32 patients suffering from symptomatic peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) with a bilateral ankle‐brachial index (ABI) of 0.8 or below were consecutively enrolled in this study. Unilateral cuff‐compression of the proximal calf was applied in the study group (n=14). The control group (n=18) underwent no compression. All patients underwent three‐step 3D contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (3D CE‐MRA) according to the institute's protocol. Venous contamination scores (vcs) at the calf station were blindly ranked by a 1 to 3 rating score (3=major venous contamination). The vcs values of the control group were regarded as standard. Statistical significance between both groups was evaluated with a paired t test.
Results: Symmetric venous contamination was observed within the control group with a mean vcs of 2.2±0.6 on the left side and 2.2±0.7 on the right side with Δvcsleft‐right of 0.1±0.2 (P>0.1). In the study group, asymmetric venous contamination was determined with vcsmean=2.3±0.6 for the uncompressed side and vcsmean=1.4±0.5 for the compressed side and a Δvcsuncomp‐comp of 0.9±0.5 (P<0.00005). The control group and the uncompressed side of the study group showed no significant difference in venous contamination (P>0.1).
Conclusion: Subdiastolic cuff‐compression of the proximal calf is an easily applicable and inexpensive technique by which to reduce venous contamination of the calf station in stepping‐table MR angiography and to improve evaluation of the infrapopliteal arteries.
