title: Magnetic resonance angiography: technique and skull-base applications.
abstract: Cerebral angiography has become essential in the evaluation and management of extensive skull-base lesions. However, with a 2.6 percent incidence of neurologic complications and a 0.3 percent incidence of permanent neurologic deficits associated with cerebral angiography, the procedure is not without risk. Recent advances in magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), allow one to visualize the skull-base vasculature without need of intravenous contrast injection or radiation exposure. Our initial experience in visualizing the normal vascular anatomy and pathology at the base of skull with this new imaging modality is presented. Two different MRA techniques were used: (1) thin-slice two-dimensional gradient echo pulse sequence acquisition with three-dimensional projection reconstruction, and (2) two-dimensional phase contrast angiography. The specifics of these techniques and their usefulness in the evaluation of lesions involving the skull base are discussed and demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: McElveen
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Meisler
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Grist
authors.forename: O B
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Boyko
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D002784:Cholesterol; D005260:Female; D006099:Granuloma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007601:Jugular Veins / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012886:Skull / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol