武汉同济医院胡道予 Evaluation of renal artery in hypertensive patients by unenhanced MR angiography using spatial labeling withmultiple inversion pulses sequence and by CT angiography.

AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2012 Nov;199（5）:1142-8. doi: 10.2214/AJR.11.7263.

Evaluation of renal artery in hypertensive patients by unenhanced MR angiography using spatial labeling withmultiple inversion pulses sequence and by CT angiography.

Pei Y1, Shen H, Li J, Zhang H, Xia L, Wang L, Hu D.

Author information

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

The purposes of this study were to determine the performance of a new unenhanced MR angiography （MRA） sequence, spatiallabeling with multiple inversion pulses （SLEEK）, with regard to its ability to present the renal arteries and to reveal renal artery disease in patientswith secondary hypertension.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS:

Unenhanced MRA using SLEEK was performed on a 1.5-T MRI system for assessing renal arteries in 50 patientswith hypertension. Then all patients underwent CT angiography （CTA） within 1-7 days. The ability to present the renal arteries and to reveal renalartery disease with SLEEK was evaluated by two experienced radiologists and was compared with CTA results using a joint reading performed in consensus.

RESULTS:

Forty-six patients with hypertension successfully underwent SLEEK MRA. A total of 119 renal arteries were assessed, including 86 normal arteries, 26 with stenoses, and seven with fibromuscular dysplasia on CTA. There was excellent correlation between SLEEK and CTA in presenting the degree of renal artery stenosis （r（s） = 0.851; p < 0.05）. SLEEK was superior to CTA in revealing the third- and fourth-order segmental branches in the renal parenchyma （p < 0.05）. SLEEK has the advantage of avoiding interference from vertebra, atherosclerotic plaques, and early venous system enhancement.

CONCLUSION:

Unenhanced MRA using SLEEK is a reliable diagnostic method for evaluating renal artery disease and revealing segmental branches in the renal parenchyma. It is relatively inexpensive and is not associated with renal complications. It can be used as an alternative to CTA for screening for renal artery disease, especially in patients with hypertension and renal insufficiency.

PMID: 23096191 DOI: 10.2214/AJR.11.7263 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]