MRI and MRA of the Pulmonary Vasculature

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the pulmonary vasculature are still rapidly evolving techniques. However, currently available protocols have already demonstrated high clinical impact. Contrast-enhanced and non-contrast-enhanced angiographic techniques are in widespread use for imaging of the pulmonary vasculature with either high spatial or high temporal resolution. Especially multiphasic protocols, such as MR perfusion, followed by high spatial resolution contrast-enhanced (CE) MRA, seem to be an optimal clinical approach for the assessment of different diseases affecting the pulmonary vasculature. This chapter describes basic knowledge, challenges, considerations and solutions for different MR techniques to be applied to the pulmonary vasculature. Parallel imaging and novel k-space sampling techniques have opened the door for fast volume acquisitions of the pulmonary vasculature. Contrast administration and timing in addition to multiphasic acquisitions are still in the focus to set up an optimal protocol for the pulmonary vasulature. The visualization of the data has to include multiplanar reformats and maximum intensity projections and also volume rendering techniques.