title: Application of magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography as diagnostic measures for the first attack of suspected cerebrovascular diseases in Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  No precise data are available showing how magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) can be applied to diagnosis for the first attack of a suspected cerebrovascular disease in Korea. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the application level of MRI and MRA as diagnostic tools and the related factors to the use of these techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study used the health benefit claim data of 89,890 patients who were hospitalized for the first time due to suspected cerebrovascular disease in 2007 without having visited medical institutions as an outpatient or inpatient from 2003 to 2006.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 89,890 cases, 28.4% took both MRI and MRA, 10.7% took only MRI and 6.9% took only MRA. The related factors identified in the multivariate logistic regression analysis were gender, type of insurance, type of medical institution, type of department, duration of hospitalization, and type of disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that the application level of MRI and MRA as diagnostic measures for the first attack of a suspected cerebrovascular diseases varied depending on several factors. It is necessary to study more accurate levels of computerized tomography (CT), computerized tomography angiography (CTA), MRI or MRA as measures to diagnose a first attack of suspected cerebrovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seou, Korea.
authors.forename: Kunsei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyeongsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae-Hyeok
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.forename: Hee-Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Im-Seok
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Sounghoon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D056910:Republic of Korea; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult