Vascular CT and MRI: a practical guide to imaging protocols

Non-invasive cross-sectional imaging techniques play a crucial role in the assessment of the varied manifestations of vascular disease. Vascular imaging encompasses a wide variety of pathology. Designing vascular imaging protocols can be challenging owing to the non-uniform velocity of blood in the aorta, differences in cardiac output between patients, and the effect of different disease states on blood flow. In this review, we provide the rationale behind—and a practical guide to—designing and implementing straightforward vascular computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols. Teaching Points • There is a wide range of vascular pathologies requiring bespoke imaging protocols. • Variations in cardiac output and non-uniform blood velocity complicate vascular imaging. • Contrast media dose, injection rate and duration affect arterial enhancement in CTA. • Iterative CT reconstruction can improve image quality and reduce radiation dose. • MRA is of particular value when imaging small arteries and venous studies. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s13244-018-0597-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorised users.