Contrast-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography in Carotid Artery Disease: Does Automated Image Registration Improve Image Quality?

Overview

Journal Eur Radiol

Specialty Radiology

Date 2009 Jan 13

PMID 19137442

Authors

Jan Menke

Jorg Larsen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is a noninvasive imaging alternative to digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for patients with carotid artery disease. In DSA, image quality can be improved by shifting the mask image if the patient has moved during angiography. This study investigated whether such image registration may also help to improve the image quality of carotid MRA. Data from 370 carotid MRA examinations of patients likely to have carotid artery disease were prospectively collected. The standard nonregistered MRAs were compared to automatically linear, affine and warp registered MRA by using three image quality parameters: the vessel detection probability (VDP) in maximum intensity projection (MIP) images, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in MIP images, and contrast-to-noise ratio in three-dimensional image volumes. A body shift of less than 1 mm occurred in 96.2% of cases. Analysis of variance revealed no significant influence of image registration and body shift on image quality (p > 0.05). In conclusion, standard contrast-enhanced carotid MRA usually requires no image registration to improve image quality and is generally robust against any naturally occurring body shift.

References

Sacco R, Adams R, Albers G, Alberts M, Benavente O, Furie K . Guidelines for prevention of stroke in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack: a statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Council on Stroke: co-sponsored by the.... Circulation. 2006; 113(10):e409-49. View

Wardlaw J, Chappell F, Best J, Wartolowska K, Berry E . Non-invasive imaging compared with intra-arterial angiography in the diagnosis of symptomatic carotid stenosis: a meta-analysis. Lancet. 2006; 367(9521):1503-12. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68650-9. View

Grau A, Weimar C, Buggle F, Heinrich A, Goertler M, Neumaier S . Risk factors, outcome, and treatment in subtypes of ischemic stroke: the German stroke data bank. Stroke. 2001; 32(11):2559-66. DOI: 10.1161/hs1101.098524. View

Loeckx D, Coudyzer W, Maes F, Vandermeulen D, Wilms G, Marchal G . Nonrigid registration for subtraction CT angiography applied to the carotids and cranial arteries. Acad Radiol. 2007; 14(12):1562-76. DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2007.06.008. View

Menke J . Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography in peripheral arterial disease: improving image quality by automated image registration. Magn Reson Med. 2008; 60(1):224-9. DOI: 10.1002/mrm.21628. View

Leiner T, de Weert T, Nijenhuis R, Vasbinder G, Kessels A, Ho K . Need for background suppression in contrast-enhanced peripheral magnetic resonance angiography. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2001; 14(6):724-33. DOI: 10.1002/jmri.10012. View

Lell M, Ditt H, Panknin C, Sayre J, Klotz E, Ruehm S . Cervical CT angiography comparing routine noncontrast and a late venous scan as masks for automated bone subtraction: feasibility study and examination of the influence of patient motion on image quality. Invest Radiol. 2007; 43(1):27-32. DOI: 10.1097/RLI.0b013e31815597ac. View

Loeckx D, Drisis S, Maes F, Vandermeulen D, Marchal G, Suetens P . Plaque and stent artifact reduction in subtraction CT angiography using nonrigid registration and a volume penalty. Med Image Comput Comput Assist Interv. 2006; 8(Pt 2):361-8. DOI: 10.1007/11566489_45. View

Lell M, Ditt H, Panknin C, Sayre J, Ruehm S, Klotz E . Bone-subtraction CT angiography: evaluation of two different fully automated image-registration procedures for interscan motion compensation. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2007; 28(7):1362-8. PMC: 7977676. DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A0558. View

10.

Fairhead J, Rothwell P . Underinvestigation and undertreatment of carotid disease in elderly patients with transient ischaemic attack and stroke: comparative population based study. BMJ. 2006; 333(7567):525-7. PMC: 1562473. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.38895.646898.55. View

11.

Goldstein L, Adams R, Alberts M, Appel L, Brass L, Bushnell C . Primary prevention of ischemic stroke: a guideline from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Stroke Council: cosponsored by the Atherosclerotic Peripheral Vascular Disease Interdisciplinary Working Group; Cardiovascular Nursing.... Circulation. 2006; 113(24):e873-923. DOI: 10.1161/01.STR.0000223048.70103.F1. View

12.

U-King-Im J, Graves M, Cross J, Higgins N, Wat J, Trivedi R . Internal carotid artery stenosis: accuracy of subjective visual impression for evaluation with digital subtraction angiography and contrast-enhanced MR angiography. Radiology. 2007; 244(1):213-22. DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2441060749. View

13.

Qureshi A, Alexandrov A, Tegeler C, Hobson 2nd R, Baker J, Hopkins L . Guidelines for screening of extracranial carotid artery disease: a statement for healthcare professionals from the multidisciplinary practice guidelines committee of the American Society of Neuroimaging; cosponsored by the Society of Vascular and.... J Neuroimaging. 2007; 17(1):19-47. DOI: 10.1111/j.1552-6569.2006.00085.x. View

14.

Johnson T, Jung E, Clevert D, Flach P, Strautz T, Ritter G . Color Doppler, power Doppler and B-flow ultrasound in the assessment of ICA stenosis: Comparison with 64-MD-CT angiography. Eur Radiol. 2006; 17(8):2149-59. DOI: 10.1007/s00330-006-0488-7. View

15.

Sun Y, Parker D . Performance analysis of maximum intensity projection algorithm for display of MRA images. IEEE Trans Med Imaging. 2000; 18(12):1154-69. DOI: 10.1109/42.819325. View

16.

van Velsen E, Niessen W, de Weert T, de Monye C, van der Lugt A, Meijering E . Evaluation of an improved technique for lumen path definition and lumen segmentation of atherosclerotic vessels in CT angiography. Eur Radiol. 2006; 17(7):1738-45. DOI: 10.1007/s00330-006-0469-x. View

17.

Woods R, Grafton S, Holmes C, Cherry S, Mazziotta J . Automated image registration: I. General methods and intrasubject, intramodality validation. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 1998; 22(1):139-52. DOI: 10.1097/00004728-199801000-00027. View

18.

Denton E, Sonoda L, Rueckert D, Rankin S, Hayes C, Leach M . Comparison and evaluation of rigid, affine, and nonrigid registration of breast MR images. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 1999; 23(5):800-5. DOI: 10.1097/00004728-199909000-00031. View

19.

Mitra D, Connolly D, Jenkins S, English P, Birchall D, Mandel C . Comparison of image quality, diagnostic confidence and interobserver variability in contrast enhanced MR angiography and 2D time of flight angiography in evaluation of carotid stenosis. Br J Radiol. 2006; 79(939):201-7. DOI: 10.1259/bjr/72842752. View

20.

Masdeu J, Irimia P, Asenbaum S, Bogousslavsky J, Brainin M, Chabriat H . EFNS guideline on neuroimaging in acute stroke. Report of an EFNS task force. Eur J Neurol. 2006; 13(12):1271-83. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2006.01507.x. View