Non-Contrast-Enhanced MRA Useful for Detecting Renal Artery Stenosis

Non-contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) techniques have sparked awareness in the medical community for diagnosing renal artery stenosis because it eliminates the need for gadolinium-based contrast agents used with computed tomography angiography (CTA).

In an international multicenter trial, time-spatial labeling inversion pulse (Time-SLIP) technology has been confirmed as a useful technique for non-contrast vascular imaging while providing an effective and noninvasive way to diagnose patients.

The results from the multicenter trial REACT (REnal Artery Contrast-free Trial) demonstrated the high sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of Toshiba’s (Tokyo, Japan) Time-SLIP, while also demonstrating no statistical differences between non-contrast MRA and CTA in terms of their ability to visualize renal artery stenosis. The trial’s findings were published in the January 2015 issue of American Journal of Roentgenology.

“Toshiba’s corporate philosophy is ‘Made for Life,’ and it is one of our missions to minimize patients’ risk while providing exceptional images for their best possible medical treatment,” said Toshio Takiguchi, president, Toshiba Medical Systems Corp. (TMSC). “The REACT study has proved that it is now possible to detect renal artery stenosis without using contrast agents. Time-SLIP eliminates the need for gadolinium-based contrast agents, which results in safer and more comfortable examinations. Not only do these noninvasive and painless techniques eliminate the risks associated with gadolinium-based contrast agents, but they also require less setup time for clinicians, resulting in MR exams that are more comfortable for the patient and can be completed more quickly without compromising image quality.”

The trial consisted of 75 patients in collaboration with seven medical centers in five countries: France, the United States, Spain, China, and Japan. All subjects underwent medically required non-contrast renal MRA exams, using the 1.5 T Vantage Atlas and Vantage Titan MR systems, as well as CT angiography for the evaluation of renal artery stenosis.

“This is a first-of-its-kind multi-center, international, non-contrast vascular imaging trial,” said Dr. Timothy Albert, director, Cardiovascular Diagnostic Center at Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System (CA, USA), who served as the lead investigator of the trial. “It exemplifies the long-term commitment that Toshiba has to not only developing novel imaging solutions but providing clinical evidence to support them. REACT shows that Time-SLIP imaging can be user-friendly and applied to different patient groups. It works in diverse populations, from Asia to Europe and the United States.”

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