Whole-body MR angiography: initial experience in imaging pediatric vasculopathy

Radiological assessment of vasculopathy in children is typically undertaken with ultrasonography, echocardiography, conventional angiography, computed tomography and, more recently, positron emission tomography. Drawbacks of these modalities include radiation exposure or, in the case of ultrasonography, the dependence on operator skills and sufficient acoustic windows. With advancements in MR technology, which have improved sensitivity and shortened scan times, whole-body magnetic resonance angiography (WB-MRA) lends itself as a potential “one-stop shop” for vascular imaging. Currently, WB-MRA is primarily used in adult patients with atherosclerosis or multifocal regional vasculopathy. WB-MRA has not been employed in the routine assessment of pediatric vascular disease. The purpose of this article is to describe and illustrate our WB-MRA imaging technique for evaluation of pediatric vasculopathy.