Intracranial vascular stenosis and occlusion: diagnostic accuracy of three-dimensional, Fourier transform, time-of-flight MR angiography.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the accuracy of three-dimensional, Fourier transform, time-of-flight magnetic resonance (MR) angiography in the detection of intracranial steno-occlusive diseases.


METHODS
One hundred thirty-one patients (62 male and 69 female patients, aged 6-77 years [mean, 53 years 8 months]) underwent MR and conventional angiography for evaluation of possible intracranial vascular disease. A total of 502 arteries were assessed. Eight projections and a collapsed image postprocessed by means of a maximum-intensity projection algorithm were reviewed by five observers in a blinded manner, with conventional angiography as the standard.


RESULTS
A total of 32 steno-occlusive lesions were available for review. Receiver operating characteristic analysis from the pooled data revealed overall sensitivities of 85% and 88% and specificities of 96% and 97% for the internal carotid artery and the middle cerebral artery, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
MR angiography is useful as the primary diagnostic tool for evaluating suspected intracranial steno-occlusive disease.
Korogi
Y
Y
Department of Radiology, Kumamoto University School of Medicine, Japan.
Takahashi
M
M
Mabuchi
N
N
Miki
H
H
Shiga
H
H
Watabe
T
T
O'Uchi
T
T
Nakagawa
T
T
Horikawa
Y
Y
Fujiwara
S
S
D000465:Algorithms; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000473:pathology; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002539:Cerebral Arterial Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity