Distal lower extremity imaging: prospective comparison of 2-dimensional time of flight, 3-dimensional time-resolved contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography, and 3-dimensional bolus chase contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography.

Objective: To compare the 2-dimensional time of flight, the 3-dimensional time-resolved contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography, and the 3-dimensional 3-station bolus chase contrast-enhanced MR angiography in assessing distal station atherosclerosis.

Methods: Two-dimensional time of flight, 3-dimensional time-resolved contrast-enhanced MR angiography, and 3-dimensional bolus chase contrast-enhanced MR angiography were performed from the knees to the metatarsal heads of 40 patients. Blinded to the patients' identity, 2 readers independently reviewed the 3 sequences in random order; differences were resolved by consensus. Anterior tibial, peroneal, and posterior tibial arterial lengths to the talar dome were scored as follows: 1, greater than 50% of the length of a normal artery; 2, less than 50%; and 3, total occlusion. Stenoses were scored as follows: 1, less than 50%; and 2, greater than 50%. The pedal vessels (dorsalis pedis, posterior tibial, and plantar pedal arch arteries) were scored as follows: 1, less than 50% stenosis; and 2, greater than 50% stenosis. The reference standard was a combined interpretation of all 3 sequences by both readers in consensus.

Results: For the 240 calf segments scored for length, concordance with reference assessment was poorer for the time of flight than for either the bolus chase or time-resolved angiography (P = 0.0021 and P = 0.0082, respectively), and the latter two were statistically indistinguishable. For stenosis grading of the 461 calf and pedal segments, the time-resolved and bolus chase methods were superior to the time of flight (P = <0.0001 and P = 0.0041, respectively), and the contrast-enhanced methods were statistically indistinguishable.

Conclusions: Both contrast-enhanced time-resolved and bolus chase MR angiography are superior to the time of flight in diagnosing distal station peripheral vascular disease.