Observation of the lenticulostriate arteries in the human brain in vivo using 7.0T MR angiography.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to examine the feasibility of observing the lenticulostriate arteries (LSAs) noninvasively by ultrahigh-field MRI with 7.0T.


METHODS
We used 3-dimensional time-of-flight MR angiography with a radiofrequency coil optimized for 7.0T MRI. We examined the LSAs of 6 healthy subjects and compared 7.0T MR angiography images with 1.5T ones to examine the potentials of ultrahigh-field MRI for angiography.


RESULTS
The results show clear details of LSAs and their distribution in the normal healthy subjects with large variations in the shapes, the number of branches and the sites of origin. We also observed substantial differences between the left and right sides within each subject. Although we studied only 6 subjects, we found no age- or gender-related differences in the LSAs.


CONCLUSIONS
The visualization of microvasculature of the brain, such as LSAs, using 7.0T MR angiography, is possible in in vivo human studies noninvasively. We, therefore, believe that it could play a major role in the study of small vascular abnormalities, such as the early stages of cerebral strokes.
Cho
Zang-Hee
ZH
Kang
Chang-Ki
CK
Han
Jae-Yong
JY
Kim
Sang-Hoon
SH
Kim
Kyoung-Nam
KN
Hong
Suk-Min
SM
Park
Cheol-Wan
CW
Kim
Young-Bo
YB
D000328:Adult; D020771:Anterior Cerebral Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D020144:Basal Ganglia Cerebrovascular Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000502:physiology; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D020772:Internal Capsule / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D008280:Magnetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis