title: 3-T contrast-enhanced MR angiography with parallel imaging in cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Contrast-enhanced (CE) 3D magnetic resonance venography (MRV) and CE 3D magnetization prepared rapid acquisition of gradient echo (MP-RAGE) sequences are increasingly commonly used methods for evaluation of the intracranial venous system. Our aim was to compare CE MRV, 2D time-of-flight (TOF) MRV and MP-RAGE sequences at 3 T for visualization of cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with suspected or known cerebral venous thrombosis were examined prospectively by TOF MRV, CE MRV and MP-RAGE sequences. In 11 consecutive patients (all women; mean age, 42.5 years; age range, 25-70 years) with venous thrombosis, scores according to overall image quality, and presence or absence (score P) and differentiation (score D) of venous thrombosis were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By all measurements, overall image quality ranged from good to excellent. In 20 of 52 venous structures (38.5%), score P was the same on TOF MRV, CE MRV and MP-RAGE sequences. Venous thrombosis was definitely or almost definitely present or absent with TOF MRV in 20 of 52 (38.5%), with CE MRV in 97 of 99 (97.9%) and with MP-RAGE sequences in 86 of 99 (86.9%) venous structures. In all venous structures with uncertain diagnosis on TOF MRV, thrombosis was definitely or almost definitely present or absent on CE MRV and MP-RAGE sequences. Differentiation of thrombosis was better on CE MRV (score D: 3.33) than on MP-RAGE sequences (score D: 2.78), followed by TOF MRV (score D: 1.32).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CE MRV was superior to TOF MRV and MP-RAGE sequences in visualizing cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Neurology, University of Heidelberg Medical Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany. michael lettau@gmx.de
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lettau
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laible
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Barrows
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heiland
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bendszus
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hähnel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D020767:Intracranial Thrombosis / Q000473:pathology*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012851:Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial / Q000473:pathology*; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA