Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) sequences generate an amount of data that represents the signal intensity of voxels from the image volume, distributed on consecutive slices and oriented on a user-defined plane. In particular, the availability of wide anatomic coverage coils and high-field scanners, together with fast sequences and high relaxivity contrast media, allows to easily obtain MRA series formed by a high number of thin slices, usually partially overlapped on each other. This poses the problem to achieve a synthetic view of such a large quantity of analytical information, as derived from each single partition, through either a panoramic or a targeted visualization of a given vascular territory. The demonstration of a particular vascular anatomy may also raise the issue of separating or eliminating other structures contained in the same image volume (such as veins in an MR arteriogram, superimposed vessels or stationary tissues with contrast enhancement).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Baskaran V, Pereles FS, Nemcek AA Jr, et al.(2002) Gadolinium-enhanced 3D MR angiography of renal artery stenosis: a pilot comparison of maximum intensity projection, multi-planar reformatting, and 3D volume-rendering postprocessing algorithms. Acad Radiol 9(1):50–59
Calhoun PS, Kuszyk BS, Heath DG, et al. (1999) Three-dimensional volume rendering of spiral CT data: theory and method. Radiographics 19(3):745–764
Cirillo S, Tosetti I, Gaita F, et al. (2005) Magnetic resonance angiography of the pulmonary veins before and after radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation. Radiol Med 109(5–6):488–499
Davis CP, Hany TF, Wildermuth S, et al. (1997) Postprocessing techniques for gadolinium-enhanced three-dimensional MR angiography. Radiographics 17(5):1061–1077
Davis CP, Ladd ME, Romanowski BJ, et al. (1996) Human aorta: preliminary results with virtual endoscopy based on three-dimensional MR imaging data sets. Radiology 199(1):37–40
Fink C, Hallscheidt PJ, Hosch WP, et al. (2003) Preoperative evaluation of living renal donors: value of contrast-enhanced 3D magnetic resonance angiography and comparison of three rendering algorithms. Eur Radiol 13(4):794–801
Fishman EK, Ney DR, Heath DG, et al. (2006) Volume rendering versus maximum intensity projection in CT angiogra-phy: what works best, when, and why. Radiographics 26(3): 905–922
Glockner JF (2001) Three-dimensional gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography: applications for abdominal imaging. Radiographics 21(2):357–370
Hany TF, Schmidt M, Davis CP, et al. (1998) Diagnostic impact of four postprocessing techniques in evaluating contrast-enhanced three-dimensional MR angiography. AJR 170(4):907–912
Kabul HK, Hagspiel KD (2006) Cross-sectional vascular imaging with CT and MR angiography. J Nucl Cardiol 13(3):385–401
Lell MM, Anders K, Uder M, et al. (2006) New techniques in CT angiography. Radiographics 26 (Suppl 1):S45–S62
Lell M, Fellner C, Baum U, et al. (2007) Evaluation of carotid artery stenosis with multisection CT and MR imaging: infl uence of imaging modality and postprocessing. AJNR 28(1):104–110
Mallouhi A, Felber S, Chemelli A, et al. (2003) Detection and characterization of intracranial aneurysms with MR angiography: comparison of volume-rendering and maximum-intensity-projection algorithms. AJR 180(1):55–64
Mallouhi A, Schocke M, Judmaier W, et al. (2002) 3D MR angiography of renal arteries: comparison of volume rendering and maximum intensity projection algorithms. Radiology 223(2):509–516
Persson A, Dahlström N, Engellau L, et al. (2004) Volume rendering compared with maximum intensity projection for magnetic resonance angiography measurements of the abdominal aorta. Acta Radiol 45(4):453–459
Prince MR, Grist TM, Debatin JF (2003) 3D Contrast MR angiography. Springer, Berlin
Prokop M, Shin HO, Schanz A, et al. (1997) Use of maximum intensity projections in CT angiography: a basic review. Radiographics 17(2):433–451
Runck F, Steiner R P, Bautz WA, et al. (2008) MR imaging: influ-ence of imaging technique and postprocessing on measurement of internal carotid artery stenosis. AJNR 29(9): 1736–1742
Sun Y, Parker DL (1999) Performance analysis of maximum intensity projection algorithm for display of MRA images. IEEE Trans Med Imaging 18(12):1154–1169
Westenberg JJ, van der Geest RJ, Wasser MN, et al. (2000) Vessel diameter measurements in gadolinium contrast-enhanced three-dimensional MRA of peripheral arteries. Magn Reson Imaging 18(1):13–22
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Faggioni, L., Neri, E. (2010). Image Processing. In: Neri, E., Cosottini, M., Caramella, D. (eds) MR Angiography of the Body. Diagnostic Imaging. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-79717-3_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-79717-3_5
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-79716-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-79717-3
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)