MR Angiography with Contrast

Contrast-enhanced MR angiography for carotid arteries, aortic sections, or peripheral vessels. Gadolinium injection provides high-resolution vascular mapping for surgical planning and stenosis grading.

Contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) uses intravenous gadolinium to produce high-resolution images of larger arterial territories that are difficult to assess with non-contrast techniques alone. The contrast agent shortens the T1 relaxation time of blood, creating bright vascular signal against a suppressed background during the arterial phase of the bolus. Typical applications include carotid artery stenosis grading for stroke prevention planning, thoracic and abdominal aortic assessment for aneurysm surveillance, renal artery stenosis evaluation, and peripheral vascular mapping for claudication workup. The examination provides lumen detail comparable to CT angiography but without ionising radiation. The price of 8,500 CZK includes the gadolinium contrast agent (contrast is not charged separately for this examination). Timing is critical — the radiologist coordinates the contrast injection with the scan acquisition to capture the arterial phase in the target vascular territory. Results include maximum intensity projection (MIP) reconstructions and multiplanar reformats.