Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) for the Diagnosis of Atherosclerosis

INCLUSION CRITERIA: Patients must live in the Metropolitan Washington Area. Patients must have suspected atherosclerotic disease based on clinical findings or documented by angiography or doppler ultrasound performed within 3 months of the MRA. Patients must be willing to participate in the protocol. Patients must be referred by a physician who is caring for the patient and to whom the results will be provided. Patients must be clinically stable and be judged by their physician able to come to the Clinical Center to participate in the study. Patients must have serum Creatinine value less than 3.0 mg/dl. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Any contraindication for MRI including: (a) pacemaker or other implanted electronic device; (b) cochlear implants; (c) metal in the eye; (d) embedded shrapnel fragments; (e) cerebral aneurysm clips; or (f) medical infusion pumps. Allergy to Gadolinium based contrast media. Unsatisfactory performance status as judged by the referring physician such that the patient could not tolerate an MRI scan. Examples of medical conditions that would not be accepted would include angina, dyspnea at rest, congestive heart failure, severe claudication (less than 1 flight of steps). Intercurrent illness that requires treatment that would be jeopardized by the MRA scan. Subjects requiring sedation for MRI studies. Pregnant female. Patients with severe back-pain who will be unable to tolerate supine positioning within the MRI scanner for the duration of the examination.