Time-of-flight MR angiography of the portal venous system: value compared with other imaging procedures.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively compare two-dimensional time-of-flight MR angiography with other imaging procedures in the evaluation of the portal venous system in 152 consecutive patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The findings on MR angiography performed on 152 patients to depict breath-hold, two-dimensional time of flight MR angiography. Selective arterial presaturation, bolus tracking, and three-dimensional reconstruction were used routinely. Findings were correlated with findings on sonography (104 patients), CT (8 patients), and conventional digital subtraction angiography (19 patients) as well as surgery (23 patients).

RESULTS: Agreement between results of MR angiography and alternative types of imaging was excellent (99%). Agreement with sonography (100 of 104), CT (8 of 8), conventional angiography (18 of 19), and surgery (23 of 23) was good. Visualization of varices and spontaneous shunts by MR angiography was superior to that by other imaging techniques.

CONCLUSION: Our experience shows that time-of-flight MR angiography is reliable and accurate for depicting portal venous anatomy. MR angiography shows vessels that are not visible with sonography. Complicated pathology is clearly visualized in a way that is not possible with other techniques.