The purpose of this protocol is to test technical improvements in magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). The patient population of the Clinical Center does not provide a large number of patients on which to develop MRA techniques, yet, the DRD is occasionally asked to provide diagnostic services on vascular disease. In order to improve our ability to respond to these requests we have initiated this protocol to recruit patients from the metropolitan Washington area who have peripheral vascular disease. To date, we have recruited 22 individuals with atherosclerosis. We have been able to investigate new methods of imaging these diseased vessels. For instance, we are evaluating time resolved (8-second) carotid MRAs using correlation imaging. We are evaluating high-resolution imaging of the calf vessels in order to improve the resolution of these small vessels. The results are as yet too preliminary but very promising. There have been no complications. We plan to continue to recruit patients to this protocol over the coming year and anticipate large enough accruals to develop correlation imaging for the carotids and high resolution calf vessel imaging.
