Single breathhold noncontrast thoracic MRA using highly accelerated parallel imaging with a 32-element coil array

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of performing single breathhold three-dimensional (3D) thoracic noncontrast MR angiography (NC-MRA) using highly accelerated parallel imaging. Materials and Methods: We developed a single breathhold NC MRA pulse sequence using balanced steady state free precession (SSFP) readout and highly accelerated parallel imaging. In 17 subjects, highly accelerated noncontrast MRA was compared against electrocardiogram-triggered contrast-enhanced MRA. Anonymized images were randomized for blinded review by two independent readers for image quality, artifact severity in eight defined vessel segments and aortic dimensions in six standard sites. NC-MRA and CE-MRA were c..