Vascular magnetic resonance angiography techniques

With the increasing size of the aging population and high prevalence of atherosclerotic disease, the need for examining the vasculature continues to rise and the demand for vascular imaging ever higher. While catheter angiography remains the gold standard, its invasive nature, ionizing radiation exposure, and risk for serious complications such as plaque disruption/embolization has prompted an emergence of noninvasive modalities. In the last two decades, advancement in the field of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) has made it an ever-attractive choice. In particular, the availability of non-contrast MRA techniques denotes a unique niche for patients with poor renal function, which is substantially prevalent with significant vasculopathy