Contrast-enhanced MR Angiography without Gadolinium-based Contrast Material: Clinical Applications Using Ferumoxytol.

Vascular imaging can be challenging because of the wide variability of contrast dynamics in different vascular territories and potential safety concerns in patients with renal insufficiency or allergies. Off-label diagnostic use of ferumoxytol, a superparamagnetic iron nanoparticle approved for therapy, is a promising alternative to gadolinium-based contrast agents for MR angiography (MRA). Ferumoxytol has exhibited a reassuring safety profile when used within the dose range recommended for diagnostic imaging. Because of its prolonged and stable intravascular residence, ferumoxytol can be used in its steady-state distribution for a wide variety of imaging indications, including some where conventional MRA is unreliable. In this article, authors discuss some of the major vascular applications of ferumoxytol and highlight how it may be used to provide highly diagnostic images and improve the quality, workflow, and reliability of vascular imaging. Keywords: MR Angiography, MRI Contrast Agent, Cardiac, Vascular © RSNA, 2022.

CT evaluation of unrepaired/incidental congenital cardiovascular diseases in adults.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) affects approximately one million people in the USA with the number increasing by 5% each year. Patients are usually both diagnosed and treated in infancy, however many of them may have subclinical CHD that remains undiagnosed until late adulthood. Patients with complex CHD tend to be symptomatic and are diagnosed at a younger age than those with a single defect. CHDs can be divided into three categories, including cardiac, great vessels and coronary artery anomalies. Recent advances in computed tomography (CT) technology with faster acquisition time and improved spatial resolution allow for detailed evaluation of cardiac morphology and function. The concomitant increased utilization of CT has simultaneously led to more sensitive detection and more thorough diagnosis of CHD. Recognition of and understanding the imaging attributes specific to each anomaly is important for radiologists in order to make a correct and definite diagnosis. This article reviews the spectrum of CHDs, which persist into adulthood that may be encountered by radiologists on CT.