Microbleeds in moyamoya disease: susceptibility-weighted imaging versus T2*-weighted imaging at 3 Tesla.
OBJECTIVE
To prospectively evaluate differences in detectability of cerebral microbleeds (MBs) in Moyamoya disease (MMD) on susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) and T2*-weighted imaging (T2*WI) at 3 T.


METHODS
SWI and T2*WI were applied for 50 consecutive MMD patients. MB was defined as a very low signal intensity area in each sequence without continuity from surrounding vessel structures. Numbers of MBs were compared between the 2 sequences. To assess visualization, a grading score was assigned to each MB from Grade 3 (prominent) to Grade 0 (normal-appearing) on SWI and T2*WI, respectively, and were compared by Wilcoxon signed rank test.


RESULTS
A total of 37 MBs were detected in 21 patients (42%) on SWI, compared with 27 MBs in 16 patients (32%) on T2*WI, with significant difference in number of MBs between the 2 sequences (P = 0.002). Lesions displayed greater visual grading score on SWI than on T2*WI (P < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
SWI offers better detectability of MBs in MMD than T2*WI at 3 T.
Mori
Nobuyuki
N
Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Miki
Yukio
Y
Kikuta
Ken-ichiro
K
Fushimi
Yasutaka
Y
Okada
Tsutomu
T
Urayama
Shin-ichi
S
Sawamoto
Nobukatsu
N
Fukuyama
Hidenao
H
Hashimoto
Nobuo
N
Togashi
Kaori
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009072:Moyamoya Disease / Q000150:complications*; D011446:Prospective Studies