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In vitro evaluation of stent patency and in-stent stenoses in 10 metallic stents using MR angiography

Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93042 Regensburg, Germany

View larger version (10K): [in a new window]   Figure 1. Schematic of signal intensity plot(dotted line) perpendicular to long axis of stent. The apparent stent lumen was defined to be the distance between the two points on the plot where the signal exceeded twice the background signal.

View larger version (83K): [in a new window]   Figure 2. Source images(upper row) and maximum intensity projection (MIP) images (lower row) obtained from oblique coronal 3D contrast enhanced MR angiography (CEMRA) images of 10 metallic stents. The stents from left to right: group 1: DynaLink, ZA; group 2: Acculink carotid, JostentSelfX XF, Luminexx, Omnilink, SMART, sinus-SuperFlex; group 3: Symphony, Wallstent. The signal loss within the stents and the degree of artificial lumen narrowing differed considerably between the stents. Imaging characteristics of group 1 and 2 stents (for classification see Table 1) enabled determination of stent patency and accurate delineation of in-stent stenoses by the observers. The MIP algorithm can cause loss of contrast which might artificially worsen the severity of a stenosis or mimic an occlusion. This phenomenon is best appreciated for the group 3 stents.