Iliofemoral arterial occlusive disease: contrast-enhanced MR angiography for preinterventional evaluation and follow-up after stent placement.

PURPOSE To evaluate the efficacy of contrast material-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography for the diagnosis of peripheral arterial occlusion and follow-up after stent placement. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty-seven patients (21 women, 46 men; mean age, 64.6 years) were examined. Digital subtraction angiography and contrast-enhanced MR angiography were performed in 28 patients for preinterventional evaluation of iliofemoral arterial occlusion and in 39 patients for follow-up after stent placement in the iliac or femoral arteries, which had been performed several months before. RESULTS All 24 occlusions were correctly diagnosed with contrast-enhanced MR angiography. Of the 59 stenoses, 36 were greater than 50% and 23 were 50% or less. Sensitivity and specificity for the detection of stenoses greater than 50% were 100% and 83%, respectively. Patency of the different stents was determined correctly with contrast-enhanced MR angiography. Some stents caused signal intensity dropout, which made MR evaluation of stents difficult. Generally, these signal intensity artifacts were most severe in stainless steel stents and mild in some nitinol stents. CONCLUSION Contrast-enhanced MR angiography is comparable to digital subtraction angiography for the detection of stenosis greater than 50% and occlusion in the iliofemoral arteries. Stent patency can be determined, but contrast-enhanced MR angiography is not suitable for stent evaluation owing to signal intensity dropout; however, it provides information about the vascular anatomic areas proximal and distal to the stent.