Non Contrast 3D Volumetric Time-Resolved MRA in Renal Artery(CINEMA-RENAL)

Masanobu Nakamura¹, Masami Yoneyama¹, Tomoyuki Okuaki¹, Takashi Tabuchi¹, Atsushi Takemura², Makoto Obara², Junko Ogura¹

Non-contrast MRA with spin-labeling technique which discriminates arteries from veins, simultaneously suppressing signals from surrounding tissues, has been applied for exploring the renal artery. Currently available techniques for non-contrast MRA, however, enable only to gain static, single-frame images. Recently we have proposed 3D volumetric non contrast time-resolved MRA technique termed Contrast inherent inflow enhanced multi phase angiography in renal artery (CINEMA-RENAL). CINEMA-RENAL sequence was performed combining Look-Locker techniques with 3D segmented T1-weighted gradient echo sequence. Radial 3D stack-of-stars acquisition was used to diminish the motion artifacts due to breathing. CINEMA -RENAL can extract the blood flow in the renal artery at an interval of 100 ms and thus permitted us to observe vascular construction in full by preparing MIP images of axial, coronal, and sagittal acquisitions. CINEMA enables to achieve ``four dimensional`` images without contrast agents.