[Contrast-enhanced intracranial 3 D MR angiography (CE-MRA) in assessing arterial stenoses and aneurysms].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic potential of CE-MR angiography in intracranial arterial stenoses and aneurysms.


METHODS
Thirteen patients with intracranial arterial stenoses and ten patients with aneurysms, including 6 cases with GDC coil-occluded aneurysms, were examined by both 3 D TOF-MR angiography and CE-MR angiography. In cases of stenoocclusive diseases colour-coded duplex sonography and in cases of aneurysms arterial digital subtraction angiography served as reference method.


RESULTS
Both TOF-MRA and CE-MRA could well depict filiform stenosis. In contrast to TOF-MRA, CE-MRA did not show any false positive stenosis or occlusion in regions of turbulent or slow blood flow. Stenoses of the medial cerebral artery could not be graded sufficiently by CE-MRA. In aneurysms the parent vessel was better shown by TOF-MRA. CE-MRA, however, more sensitively detected reperfusion in GDC coil-occluded aneurysms.


CONCLUSIONS
Stenoses of small vessels were graded less exactly by CE-MRA than by TOF-MRA due to lower spatial resolution. CE-MRA, however, seems to be superior in regions of turbulent or slow blood flow. CE-MRA also offers advantages in follow-up examinations of coil-occluded aneurysms.
Gottschalk
S
S
Institut für Radiologie, Neuroradiologie, Universitätsklinikum Lübeck, Institut für Radiologie, Germany. stefan.gottschalk@medinf.mu-luebeck.de
Gaebel
C
C
Haendler
G
G
Gellissen
J
J
Missler
U
U
Seidel
G
G
Nowak
G
G
Petersen
D
D
D000368:Aged; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000175:diagnosis; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial
D003287:Contrast Media; D005682:Gadolinium
Kontrastmittelgestützte 3D-MR-Angiographie (CE-MRA) bei intrakraniellen Stenosen und Aneurysmen.