[In vivo high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging in severe intracranial stenosis].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the feasibility and clinical value of high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI) in patients with symptomatic severe intracranial stenosis (SSIS).


METHODS
HRMRI wasperformed with a 3.0 T MR scanner on 5 patients with symptomatic middle cerebral (n = 3) or basilar (n = 2) arterial stenosis of > or = 70% confirmed by DSA. Image diagnosis was made on the basis of HRMRI findings of vessel wall at the stenotic segment by 2 neuroradiologists blinded to patient's status.


RESULTS
Three of the five patients were diagnosed to have advanced intracranial atherosclerosis based on the presence of a complex eccentric atherosclerotic plaque containing a large lipid-rich necrotic core with a heterogeneous post-contrast enhancement and with signs of ruptured fibrous cap. Two other patients were likely to suffer from non-atherosclerotic lesion. HRMRI revealed an iso-signal septum in the arterial lumen attaching to the slightly thickened arterial wall that was iso-signal with a homogeneous post-contrast enhancement in one patient and an obviously concentrically thickened arterial wall with hypo-intense signal on T1WI and slightly high signal on T2WI and PDWI and without any post-contrast enhancement in the remaining patient.


CONCLUSIONS
In vivo HRMRI in patients with SSIS is technically feasible. It provides detailed information of intracranial arterial wall at the stenotic segment.
Lou
Xin
X
Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, the Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Jiang
Wei-Jian
WJ
Ma
Lin
L
Du
Bin
B
Ma
Ning
N
Gao
Feng
F
D000368:Aged; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000473:pathology; D014715:Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / Q000473:pathology*