title: CT in acute stroke: improved detection of dense intracranial arteries by varying window parameters and performing a thin-slice helical scan.
abstract: We evaluated the possibility of improving detection of a dense intracranial artery on CT in acute stroke by narrowing window width, varying window level and performing a thin-slice helical scan for the circle of Willis, in some cases followed by postprocessing maximum-intensity projections. We carried out 32 examinations of 31 patients with a documented cerebral ischaemic attack, performing cranial CT within 6 h of the onset of symptoms. Patients with intracranial haemorrhage were excluded, as were patients who went on to thrombolytic therapy. Varying window width and centre level on standard 5 mm thick contiguous axial slices, we detected a dense proximal middle cerebral artery (MCA) in a higher proportion of patients. A 1.1 mm thick helical scan through the circle of Willis improved recognition of a dense distal horizontal segment and the temporoinsular branches of the MCA and of a dense posterior cerebral artery.
authors.affiliation: UO Radiodiagnostica, Ospedale del Ceppo, Piazza San Lorenzo, 51100 Pistoia, Italy. davgadda@tin.it
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gadda
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vannucchi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Niccolai
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carmignani
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pacini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002941:Circle of Willis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*