Non-Contrast-Enhanced 4D Intracranial MR Angiography with 4D NATIVE TrueFISP

Xiaoming Bi¹, Peter Weale¹, Peter Schmitt², Sven Zuehlsdorff¹, Renate Jerecic¹

Contrast-enhanced, time-resolved three-dimensional (4D) MRA has been widely used to exam the anatomical and dynamic flow information of vasculature. Typically temporal and spatial resolutions have to be traded in order to synchronize data acquisition to the short first pass of contrast agent. In this work, a non-contrast-enhanced MRA sequence was implemented. The constraints from contrast kinetics as in conventional approaches were eliminated. Extremely high temporal (51.4 msec) and spatial (1.25x1.25x1.25 mm³) resolutions were simultaneously achieved without trading again each other. The feasibility of using such non-contrast-enhanced 4D technique for intracranial MRA was validated from consecutive volunteer studies.