Lisette van Dam

Chapter 5 82 parameters are provided in Table 1. All MR-NCTI scans were evaluated by a radiologist (L.K.) for assessment of image quality. Patients with MR images with insufficient image quality were excluded for further analysis. We continued the recruitment of patients in group 1 and 2 until inclusion of 30 patients in each group with MR images of sufficient image quality was achieved. Patients in whom UEDVT was ruled-out were followed for the occurrence of symptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE) over a period of three months after inclusion. Table 1. Details of MRDTI and 3D TSE-SPAIR scan parameters applied in the study. MRDTI 3D TSE-SPAIR Technique T1TFE TSE Orientation Coronal Coronal FOV 400 x 405 350 x 400 Slices 60 180 Slice thickness (mm) 4.0 1.1 Reconstructed slice thickness (mm) 2.0 - Voxel size (mm) 1.6 x 2.24 acq. 1.6 x 1.6 recon 1.09 x 1.1 acq. 0.5 x 0.5 recon Scan time (min) 5:53 5:33 Echo time (ms) 5.4 23 Repetition time (ms) 11 400 Flip angle 15 90 TFE prepulse inversion time (ms) 1200 - SPAIR inversion delay (ms) - 110 This table was originally published in Thrombosis Research. Dronkers, C.E.A., et al. Thromb. Res. 14 3D TSE-SPAIR, three-dimensional turbo spin-echo spectral attenuated inversion recovery; acq, acquired; FOV, field of view; MRDTI, magnetic resonance direct thrombus imaging; recon, reconstructed; TFE, turbo field-echo; TSE, turbo spin-echo. Image assessment and interpretation MR-NCTI scans were evaluated post-hoc by two radiologists (L.K. and L.S.) with over 20 years and 3 years of experience with vascular MRI respectively, who independently reviewed the images unaware of clinical and radiological (ultrasound and venography) information. In case of any dispute, consensus reading between the two radiologists was performed. They noted the presence or absence of UEDVT for each patient based on all available MR images.