Utilizing SENSE to reduce scan duration in high-resolution contrast-enhanced renal MR angiography

Purpose: To evaluate the use of sensitivity encoding (SENSE) to reduce scan time and decrease detrimental artifacts arising motion and bolus profile effects during contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) of the renal arteries (RAs). Materials and Methods: A direct comparison of conventional and SENSE (acceleration factor 2) CE-MRA protocols was performed on 20 patients. Each patient underwent both scans. Both protocols achieved the same resolution, the SENSE protocol was 50% faster and utilized a faster injection than the conventional scan. Three radiologists graded the images for image quality, artifact-levels, and reader confidence. Results: While the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) decreased (26 +/- 5 vs. 30 +/- 10; P = 0.04) with the SENSE protocol, the image-quality scores for four identified segments of the RAs increased or were unchanged. The largest improvements in image quality occurred in the more distal segments of the RAs. Parenchymal ringing (P = 0.005) and RA blurring (P = 0.006) were significantly reduced, and there was a trend toward improvement of RA ringing despite the increased injection rate. Conclusion: The faster SENSE scan maintained nearly the same SNR (due to faster injection of Gd=chelate), reduced artifact levels, and improved image quality ratings for the distal renal vessels.