AJDRAJNR - American Journal of Neuroradiology

Publication Preview: Published January 17, 2008

American Journal of Neuroradiology 2008;29:619.

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
ajnr.A0910v1
29/4/619    most recent
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Backes, W.H.
Right arrow Articles by Nijenhuis, R.J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Backes, W.H.
Right arrow Articles by Nijenhuis, R.J.

American Journal of Neuroradiology
DOI 10.3174/ajnr.A0910

REVIEW ARTICLE

Advances in Spinal Cord MR Angiography

W.H. Backes and R.J. Nijenhuis

From the Departments of Radiology (W.H.B., R.J.N.) and Vascular Surgery (R.J.N.), Maastricht University Hospital, Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Please address correspondence to Walter H. Backes, Department of Radiology, Maastricht University Hospital, P Debyelaan 25, 6229 HX Maastricht, the Netherlands; e-mail: wbac{at}rdia.azm.nl

SUMMARY: Novel developments in MR angiography are reviewed that enable non-invasive clinical imaging of normal and abnormal vessels of the spinal cord. Current fast contrast-enhanced MR techniques are able 1) to visualize vessels supplying or draining the spinal cord and 2) to differentiate spinal cord arteries from veins. The localization of the Adamkiewicz artery, the largest artery supplying the thoracolumbar spinal cord, has become possible in a reproducible and reliable manner. Knowledge of the anatomic location of this artery and its arterial supplier may be of benefit in the work-up for aortic aneurysm surgery to reduce incidences of ischemic injury. Spinal cord MR angiography is ready to become a diagnostic tool that can compete with catheter angiography for detecting and localizing arterial feeders of vascular lesions and is strongly advised for use prior to invasive catheter angiography. Successful clinical application strongly relies on in depth knowledge of the complex spinal cord vasculature and skills in image postprocessing.






Copyright © 2009 by the American Society of Neuroradiology. Print ISSN: 0195-6108 Online ISSN: 1936-959X