Renal arteries: clinical comparison of three-dimensional time-of-flight MR angiographic sequences and radiographic angiography.

PURPOSE: To prospectively compare three magnetic resonance (MR) angiographic techniques in the renal arteries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five adult patients underwent three-dimensional time-of-flight MR angiography with three different sequences: conventional, tilted optimized nonsaturating excitation (TONE), and selective inversion-recovery rapid gradient-echo (SIR-RAGE). Fifteen also underwent radiographic angiography. Stenosis grade measured with each MR angiographic technique was compared with that measured with radiographic angiography by using correlation coefficients. Visible artery lengths with each MR angiographic technique were compared by using the Turkey method. RESULTS: Correlation between stenosis grades with each MR angiographic technique and with radiographic angiography was good (P < .01). Stenosis was correctly excluded with SIR-RAGE findings in six patients. Mean visible artery length was greatest with SIR-RAGE (P < .01). CONCLUSION: SIR-RAGE depicts a greater length of renal artery than does conventional MR angiography. TONE also improved depiction of distal arteries. Normal SIR-RAGE findings were highly predictive of normal arteries.