title: Prospective comparison of late 3T MRI with conventional angiography in evaluating the patency of cerebral arteriovenous malformations treated with stereotactic radiosurgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Risk of further haemorrhage in patients suffering from arteriovenous malformation (AVM) would be eliminated only if complete obliteration of the AVM is obtained. Therefore, these patients frequently need long-term follow-up. Conventional catheter angiography (CCA) with a risk of 0.5 %.to 1.6 % of significant neurological complications has traditionally been used for this purpose. However, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3T may be a safer alternative. The aim of this study was to evaluate if MRI at 3T can accurately evaluate closure of AVM in 2 years after stereotactic radiosurgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three patients with both MRI at 3T and a CCA study were examined. The residual AVMs were evaluated by MRI at 3T against CCA in a prospective study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The time interval between radiosurgery and neuroimaging was on average of 25 months (range, 15-30 months) for MRI study and 33 months (range, 25-46 months) for CCA study. Ten patients showed closure of the AVM on MRI, all of which were confirmed on CCA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a complete agreement between late MRI at 3T scan and CCA in evaluation of AVM patency.
authors: National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, UK. nkh950@yahoo.com
authors: Nader
authors: N
authors: Khandanpour
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Griffiths
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Warren
authors: Nigel
authors: N
authors: Hoggard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002538:Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency