Abstract #0652

Koktzoglou I, Li D

A 3D diffusion-prepared segmented steady-state free precession (SSFP) MR imaging sequence (3D DIFF-SSFP) was developed and applied for thick-slab black-blood vessel wall imaging of the thoracic aorta and the carotid arteries. The developed segmented 3D DIFF-SSFP sequence was found to robustly suppress blood signal and yield higher wall-lumen CNR efficiency than 2D double inversion-recovery fast spin-echo imaging (p < 0.05). Segmented 3D DIFF-SSFP appears to be a promising sequence for efficient black-blood imaging of large vascular territories.