Intracranial circulation: preliminary clinical results with three-dimensional (volume) MR angiography

Radiology. 1989 Jun;171(3):793-9. doi: 10.1148/radiology.171.3.2717754.

Abstract

The authors assessed the clinical utility of a magnetic resonance angiography technique in the evaluation of intracranial circulation. Eighteen patients with a low likelihood of cerebrovascular disease (control group) and 40 patients with suspected cerebrovascular disease were imaged with a FISP (fast imaging with steady precession) sequence (repetition time of 50 msec, echo time of 15 msec, velocity compensation in the read and section-select directions with acceleration compensation in the read direction, 15 degrees anisotropic volume, and a 1.25-mm partition thickness). Ninety-four percent of images in the control group and 72% of images in the group with cerebrovascular disease were considered useful for diagnosis. This technique can provide accurate images of intracranial circulation and can be performed in conjunction with two-dimensional spin-echo or gradient-echo imaging. It was most useful in the evaluation of patent intracranial aneurysms, vessel displacement, and large-vessel occlusive disease. Disadvantages included limited field of view, persistent signal voids, limited spatial resolution, and inadequate depiction of lesions with slow flow.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Cerebral Arteries / pathology
  • Cerebral Infarction / diagnosis
  • Cerebrovascular Circulation*
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Circle of Willis / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Intracranial Aneurysm / diagnosis
  • Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations / diagnosis
  • Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / diagnosis
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Male
  • Meningeal Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Meningioma / diagnosis
  • Middle Aged