Magnetic resonance angiography of the human middle meningeal artery: implications for migraine.
OBJECTIVE
To describe a novel noninvasive method for studying middle meningeal artery (MMA) diameter changes in vivo in humans. Dilatation of the MMA has been implicated in the pathophysiology of migraine headache, but no direct evidence has been obtained in humans.


METHODS
The diameter of the MMA (the extracranial part) was measured in 19 healthy volunteers before and after administration of a vasodilator (nitroglycerin (NTG), 1.2 mg sublingually) known to provoke headache. We used magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in combination with a 47-mm microscopy coil and a semiautomatic contour detection program.


RESULTS
The diameter of the MMA was 1.5+/-0.26 mm (mean+/-SD) before and 1.79+/-0.30 mm after NTG administration. This increase was 20.1% (95% CI=12.9-27.3; P<0.001). The mean increase in subjects who developed headache (N=11) was 0.34+/-0.19 mm as compared to 0.22 mm+/-0.20 mm in the eight subjects who did not (95% CI for difference=-0.07 to 0.31; P=0.188).


CONCLUSIONS
MRA in combination with a 47-mm microscopy coil is a novel, noninvasive method to measure changes in the diameter of human meningeal vessels, with potential applications for migraine and other fields of neurovascular research.
Schoonman
Guus G
GG
Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands. g.g.schoonman@lumc.nl
Bakker
Dick
D
Schmitz
Nicole
N
van der Geest
Rob J
RJ
van der Grond
Jeroen
J
Ferrari
Michael D
MD
van Buchem
Mark A
MA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008576:Meningeal Arteries; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis