[Capillary telangiectasis, angiographically occult vascular malformations. MRI symptomatology apropos of 7 cases].
OBJECTIVE
Describe the MRI findings in capillary telangiectasias.


METHODS
Between 1996 and 1999, we observed 9 cases of capillary telangiectasia in 7 patients explored 5 times for posterior fossa symptoms. In two cases capillary telangiectasia was a fortuitous discovery. All patients were explored by MRI with T1 sequences with and without gadolinium injections, turbo spin echo T2 coupled in 5 cases with a double echo gradient echo T2 sequence (TR: 970 ms, TE: 15 and 35 ms). Two patients also underwent vertebral angiography.


RESULTS
The telangiectasia gave a low intensity signal on T1 sequences in 2 of the 9 cases and a discretely high intensity signal on T2 sequences in all cases. After gadolinium injection, 9 telangiectasias showed homogeneous or speckled enhancement. The echo-gradient T2 images showed a very low intensity signal in 7 out of 7 cases on the second echo. At the first echo, 4 capillary telangiectasias were undetectable. The two vertebral angiographies were normal and the follow-up MRI in 5 patients showed lesion stability.


CONCLUSIONS
Pontile lesions with no mass effect showing enhancement after gadolinium injection and with or without a discrete T2 high intensity signal but with a frank echo-gradient T2 signal strongly suggest capillary telangiectasia.
Auffray-Calvier
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E
Service de Neuroradiologie Diagnostique et Interventionnelle, Hôpital G & R Laënnec, CHU, Nantes.
Desal
H A
HA
Freund
P
P
Laplaud
D
D
Mathon
G
G
De Kersaint-Gilly
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media; D003388:Cranial Fossa, Posterior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005682:Gadolinium; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011149:Pons / Q000098:blood supply*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013684:Telangiectasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
D003287:Contrast Media; D005682:Gadolinium