title: Assessment of arteriovenous malformations with 3-Tesla time-resolved, contrast-enhanced, three-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although conventional catheter angiography is commonly used in the evaluation of intracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), less invasive tools are more suitable for screening or follow-up. Older MR angiography techniques cannot provide high enough temporal and spatial resolution for assessing AVMs. Threetesla time-resolved imaging of contrast kinetics (TRICKS)-a time-resolved, contrast-enhanced 3D MR angiography technique-achieves subsecond time resolution without sacrificing spatial resolution. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of TRICKS at 3 T in the evaluation of AVMs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between November 2006 and November 2007, 31 patients who were known to have AVMs underwent evaluation in a 3-T unit with the TRICKS technique. The TRICKS images were then evaluated independently by 2 radiologists for nidus detection, early venous filling detection, and Spetzler-Martin classification, and these results were compared with the results of catheter angiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Time-resolved imaging of contrast kinetics achieved 96% sensitivity and 100% specificity both in nidus detection and early venous filling detection. The Spetzler-Martin grades also showed excellent correlation with catheter angiography findings (kappa= 0.89).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although this is a preliminary study, the authors' results indicate that time-resolved contrast-enhanced 3D MR angiography at 3 T is a good tool to assess AVMs, and has the potential to replace catheter angiography in screening or follow-up examinations of patients with AVMs.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Radiology, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. kunishima-tky@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kanako
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kunishima
authors.forename: Harushi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kabasawa
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Tomohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masumoto
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Kuni
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohtomo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002538:Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity