title: The diagnosis of arteriovenous malformations by 4D-CTA: a clinical study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is the current imaging 'gold standard' for diagnosis of arteriovenous malformation (AVM). The latest technique, four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT), offers a new diagnostic method for assessing AVM in real time. This study used a 320-detector-row CT scanner to compare the value of 4D-CT angiography (4D-CTA) with DSA in the diagnosis of untreated AVM patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen patients diagnosed with AVM by DSA were included in this study. Two independent readers blind to the results of all examinations evaluated the findings of DSA and 4D-CTA in each patient. All results were then documented using a standardized scoring sheet.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of 4D-CTA in all 17 cases were fully consistent with DSA for AVM location, size and vascular structures. 4D-CTA had the same ability as DSA to distinguish the main feeding arteries in all cases, although in the identification of smaller and specific arterial branches, there were discrepancies in one patient between the two methods. In the diagnosis of draining veins, however, 4D-CTA successfully displayed all of the vessels found by DSA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  4D-CTA was able to detect all AVM lesions, including their size, location, feeding arteries and draining veins. Thus, 4D-CTA has a value similar to that of DSA in the diagnosis and assessment of AVM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical College, Ningbo University, No. 818, Fenghua Road, Jiangbei District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Haifeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, No. 1 Hospital of Ningbo, No. 59, Liuting Road, Haishu District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xianwang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, No. 1 Hospital of Ningbo, No. 59, Liuting Road, Haishu District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China. Electronic address: 13906629076@139.com.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, No. 1 Hospital of Ningbo, No. 59, Liuting Road, Haishu District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shengjun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, No. 1 Hospital of Ningbo, No. 59, Liuting Road, Haishu District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhiqing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D001164:Arteriovenous Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D056973:Four-Dimensional Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D002538:Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: 4D-CTA; AVM; Arteriovenous malformation; DSA; Diagnostic methods