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Equilibrium-phase high spatial resolution contrast-enhanced MR angiography at 1.5T in preoperative imaging for perforator flap breast reconstruction Figure 7.1 Schematic overview of 36 perforator branches of the deep inferior epigastric artery. Schematic overview of the abdomen and the location of 36 single best perforator branches of the deep inferior epigastric artery found during surgery and with equilibrium-phase high spatial resolution CE-MRA. The x- and y-axis represent the distance (in cm) in respect to the umbilicus. Equilibrium-phase versus first-pass CE-MRA Image quality Equilibrium-phase high spatial resolution images were acquired in all patients, whereas because of a timing error first-pass acquisition failed in one patient. Figures 7.2 and 7.3 show examples of reconstructed MPR images of an equilibrium-phase acquisition. Image quality results of both equilibrium-phase and first pass acquisitions are presented in table 7.2. All equilibrium-phase acquisitions were of diagnostic quality, whereas in 10 out of 22 patients the quality of the first-pass images was qualified as non-diagnostic. In those patients it was not possible to identify any perforator branch using the first-pass acquisition. Excellent image quality was obtained in 13 out of 23 patients for equilibrium-phase imaging against only 7 out of 22 in first-pass imaging. Both the signal- and contrast-to-noise ratios were significantly higher for equilibrium-phase imaging in comparison with first-pass acquisitions (p < 0.01). Perforator branches The number of perforator branches identified with equilibrium-phase high 120


5. lay-out phd DEFINITIEF_digitaal2
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