High-Resolution Real-Time and Color-Flow MRI of Nitinol Stents

Stents are commonly used to treat coronary and vascular disease, but they typically impair MR imaging. Nitinol stents, in contrast, have reduced artifacts and may allow real-time MRI evaluation of stent delivery and patency, even in coronary-size stents. Seven rabbits had 3 and 4 mm stents placed in the aorta. Nitinol stent patency was seen in vivo with both high-resolution real-time and color-flow MRI sequences in all cases. Real-time MRI, combined with favorable stent materials, may improve MR-guided stent placement and patency evaluation. Background Stenting has become the dominant interventional procedure for treating coronary and vascular stenoses. However, traditional stainless-steel stents cause significant artifacts on MRA, limiting the utility of MRI-guided interventions and noninvasive follow-up of stent patency by MRI. Nitinol stents, in contrast, have reduced artifacts and may allow real-time MRI evaluation of stent patency, even in coronary-size stents. The objective of this study was to evaluate high-resolution real-time and color-flow MRI sequences for imaging nitinol stents in vivo. Method