Pulmonary MR angiography with ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide particles as a blood pool agent and a navigator echo for respiratory gating: pilot study.

ABSTRACT

In nine healthy adult volunteers, pulmonary magnetic resonance angiography was performed with the blood pool agent NC100150 injection combined with respiratory gating with a navigator echo. With increasing doses of the contrast agent, higher signal intensities and vessel branch order visualization were achieved. No motion artifacts were seen. The blood pool agent NC100150 injection in combination with respiratory navigator gating permitted acquisition of high-quality MR angiograms of the pulmonary vasculature during continuous breathing.