Imaging in peripheral arterial disease-an interesting article in Radiology

Imaging Peripheral Arterial Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Contrast-enhanced MR Angiography and Multi–Detector Row CT Angiography

Rody Ouwendijk, MD, MSc, Marianne de Vries, MD, Peter M. T. Pattynama, MD, PhD, Marc R. H. M. van Sambeek, MD, PhD, Michiel W. de Haan, MD, PhD, Theo Stijnen, PhD, Jos M. A. van Engelshoven, MD, PhD and M. G. Myriam Hunink, MD, PhD

PURPOSE: To prospectively evaluate clinical utility, patient outcomes, and costs of contrast material–enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography compared with multi–detector row computed tomographic (CT) angiography for initial imaging in the diagnostic work-up of patients with peripheral arterial disease.

RESULTS: A total of 157 consecutive patients with peripheral arterial disease were prospectively randomized to undergo MR angiography (51 men, 27 women; mean age, 63 years) or CT angiography (50 men, 29 women; mean age, 64 years). For one of the 78 patients in the MR group, no data were available. Mean confidence for MR angiography (7.7) was slightly lower than that for CT angiography (8.0, P = .8). During 6 months of follow-up, 13 patients in the MR group compared with 10 patients in the CT group underwent additional vascular imaging (P = .5). Although not statistically significant, there was a consistent trend of less improvement in the MR group across all patient outcomes. The average cost for diagnostic imaging was 359 ($438) higher in the MR group than in the CT group (95% confidence interval: 209, 511 [$255, $623]; P < .001). Therapeutic costs were higher in the MR group, but the difference was not significant.

CONCLUSION: The results suggest that CT angiography has some advantages over MR angiography in the initial evaluation of peripheral arterial disease.

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(Radiology 2005, 10.1148/radiol.2363041140)