Rationale and objectives: To determine the extent to which visualization of intrastent anatomy in stents of different composition and design is possible by using contrast-enhanced MR angiography.
Methods: Twenty-two MR-compatible stents, most of which had a diameter of 8 mm, were positioned in a phantom filled with aqueous gadolinium solution. Coronal and axial spoiled three-dimensional gradient-echo sequences were performed. Images were acquired with stents positioned at varying angulations to the main magnetic field B0. Profiles orthogonal to the stent axis allowed measurement of artifact sizes independent of window width and center.
Results: Oriented along B0, the Cragg, Corvita, Passager, Wallstent, Strecker, Impag, Perflex, and ZA stents allowed visualization of more than 48% of the lumen. The Memotherm, Smart, and Jostent SelfX stents showed a prominent reduction of the inner lumen to below 41%. The lumina of the covered Jostent, Palmaz, Sinus, and Symphony stents were completely obscured. The Impag, Perflex, and Strecker tantalum stents showed growing artifact sizes and a lumen reduction of at least 40% with increasing angulation to B0. CONCLUSIONS. Evaluation of the inner stent lumen by applying contrast-enhanced, three-dimensional gradient-echo sequences is not possible for the majority of stents because of their large artifacts. These depend on the stent type and orientation to B0. Even stents made of nitinol and cobalt alloys only allow qualitative patency assessment but no quantification of stenosis.