Follow-up of intracranial aneurysms treated with detachable coils: comparison of 3D inflow MRA at 3T and 1.5T and contrast-enhanced MRA at 3T with DSA.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this prospective study was to compare 3T and 1.5T magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for the follow-up of endovascular treated intracranial aneurysms to assess the grade of occlusion.


METHODS
Thirty-seven patients with 41 aneurysms who had undergone endovascular treatment with detachable coils were included. MRA was performed on the same day using an eight-channel sensitivity encoding head-coil with 3D axial inflow technique. At 3T, a contrast-enhanced transverse 3D fast gradient echo acquisition was also performed. Most patients underwent DSA the following day. MRA scans and DSA were classified first independently by two neuroradiologists and an interventional neuroradiologist. Secondly, a consensus was done. Source images, maximum intensity projection, multiplanar reconstruction and volume rendering reconstructions were used for MRA evaluations. A modification of the Raymond classification, previously used for DSA evaluation of recanalization, was used.


RESULTS
Statistical comparison of the consensus showed that 3T MRA with 3D axial inflow technique had better agreement with DSA (kappa = 0.43) than 1.5T MRA(kappa = 0.21) and contrast-enhanced MRA (CE-MRA) at 3T (kappa = 0.17). The susceptibility artefacts from the coil mesh were significally smaller at 3T (p = 0.002-0.007) than at 1.5T.


CONCLUSIONS
3T MRA, using a sensitivity encoding head-coil, showed better agreement with DSA than 1.5T and CE-MRA at 3T for evaluation of aneurysms treated with endovascular coiling.
Ramgren
Birgitta
B
Department of Neuroradiology, Center for Medical Imaging and Physiology, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden. birgitta.ramgren@skane.se
Siemund
Roger
R
Cronqvist
Mats
M
Undrén
Per
P
Nilsson
Ola G
OG
Holtås
Stig
S
Larsson
Elna-Marie
EM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003287:Contrast Media; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D003287:Contrast Media