MR angiography as the sole method in evaluating abdominal aortic aneurysms: correlation with conventional techniques and surgery.

PURPOSE: To compare magnetic resonance (MR) angiography with conventional preoperative imaging techniques and surgical findings in the evaluation of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR angiography was performed in 40 patients with an AAA. Two-dimensional time-of-flight MR angiography with maximum intensity projections was compared with conventional angiography, ultrasound, computed tomography, and surgery. RESULTS: In 18 of 20 patients, MR angiography demonstrated more extensive disease than did angiography. MR angiography depicted 41 of 43 renal arteries and seven of eight renal artery stenoses (one false-negative finding of mild stenosis) identified at angiography. When iliac arteries were imaged (30 patients), good correlation with angiography was seen in all but one patient (resulting from surgical clip artifact). Ten iliac stenoses were seen at both studies. Angiography caused underestimation of the extent of seven iliac aneurysms. CONCLUSION: MR angiography can provide all of the necessary preoperative information for evaluation of AAA and can replace conventional angiography in many cases.