Combined Assessment of Arterial and Venous Anatomy in Lower Limb Ischaemia Using a Single Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Scan

Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography (CE-MRA) is a non-invasive investigative modality for patients with lower limb arterial insufficiency. When infra-inguinal arterial reconstruction is indicated autologous great saphenous vein is the conduit of choice and adequacy of the vein is often assessed by an additional Duplex ultrasound.

We evaluated whether single, high-resolution steady state MR imaging with blood pool contrast agent could generate a sufficiently informative assessment of both venous and arterial anatomy to plan surgery potentially avoiding the need for an additional venous duplex.

There was good correlation between CE-MRA, venous duplex and subsequent operative findings.