Rofo 2014; 186 - WI_PO13
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1373574

Vascular and extra-vascular pathologies in magnetic resonance angiography of the thoracic aorta and the origin of the great vessels

JM Sohns 1, W Staab 1, J Menke 1, L Bergau 2, D Dabir 3, A Schwarz 1, J Spiro 4, M Dorencamp 5, JL Harrison 6, M Steinmetz 7, C Sohns 2, J Lotz 1
  • 1UMG Göttingen, Institut für Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Göttingen
  • 2UMG Göttingen, Cardiology and Pneumology, Göttingen
  • 3Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University, Department of Radiology, Bonn
  • 4University of Cologne, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Cologne
  • 5Charité University Hospital, Virchow Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Berlin
  • 6King's College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, London, UK
  • 7UMG Göttingen, Clinic for Pediatric Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Göttingen

The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of relevant vascular and incidental extra-vascular findings in patients undergoing magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the thoracic aorta and origin of the great vessels.

165 consecutive patients (mean age 61 ± 12 years) underwent 1.5 Tesla MRA of the thorax. Two researchers identified vascular and incidental extra-vascular findings. Clinically relevant vascular findings were defined. Extra-vascular findings were categorized as minor (Group A, without change in patient treatment), intermediate (Group B, unclear clinical relevance, requiring additional investigations), and major (Group C, causing a change in patient treatment).

A total of 306 relevant vascular findings were found in our cohort. A total of 397 extra-vascular findings were observed among the patients and were classified as Group A findings in 81.9% (325/397 findings, observed in 146 of 165 patients), as Group B findings in 15.4% (61/397 findings, observed in 52 of 165 patients), and as Group C in 2.8% of findings (11/397). The clinically relevant Group C findings were observed in 6.7% of patients (11/165), comprising 8 previously unknown neoplasms (4.8% of 165), two patients with hemodynamically relevant pericardial effusion (1.2% of 165), and one patient with spondylodiscitis (0.6% of 165) detected by the MRA.

Relevant vascular and extra-vascular findings were found in patients referred to thoracic MRA. Most extra-vascular findings can be categorized by the MRA as minor, whilst others require further diagnostics since they may be malignant or otherwise clinically relevant.