MRA versus DSA in the Assessment of Occlusive Disease in the Aortic Arch Vessels: Accuracy in Detecting the Severity, Number, and Length of Stenoses

Purpose:To compare the diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) to that of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in the detection, grading, and measurement of atherosclerotic stenoses involving the aortic arch arteries.Methods:The MRA and DSA studies from 28 patients (16 women; mean age 61.6 years, range 24–83) being evaluated for possible aortic arch vessel disease were examined. The aortic arch vasculature was divided into 9 segments; within each segment, the presence and severity of stenotic or occlusive disease was determined based on a 5-point scale. In addition, stenosis length and distance to the branch were measured in 5-mm increments. Image quality was assessed using a 5-point scale. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity values, as well as the positive and negative predictive values in MRA's identification of lesions, were evaluated in comparison to DSA.Results:In 28 patients, 189 segments were assessed by both methods. Of these, 173 were correctly rated ...