title: Evaluation of Intracranial Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas: Comparison of Unenhanced 3T 3D Time-of-flight MR Angiography with Digital Subtraction Angiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We compared gross characterization of intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) between unenhanced 3-tesla 3-dimensional (3D) time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA).
  
  
  METHODS
  We subjected 26 consecutive patients with intracranial DAVF to unenhanced 3T 3D TOF MRA and to DSA. Two independent sets of observers inspected the main arterial feeders, fistula site, and venous drainage pattern on MRA and DSA images. Interobserver and intermodality agreements were assessed by k statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interobserver agreement was excellent for fistula site (κ = 0.919; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.805 to 1.000), good for main arterial feeders (κ = 0.711; 95% CI, 0.483 to 0.984), and very good for venous drainage (κ = 0.900; 95% CI, 0.766 to 1.000). Intermodality agreement was excellent for fistula site (κ = 0.968; 95% CI, 0.906 to 1.000) and good for main arterial feeder (κ = 0.809; 95% CI, 0.598 to 1.000) and venous drainage (κ = 0.837; 95% CI, 0.660 to 1.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gross characterization of intracranial DAVF was similar for both imaging modalities, but unenhanced 3T 3D TOF MRA cannot replace DSA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology,Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University.
authors.forename: Minako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azuma
authors.forename: Toshinori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shigematsu
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitajima
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kai
authors.forename: Shigetoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Keishi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iryo
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001164:Arteriovenous Fistula / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002426:Cavernous Sinus / Q000002:abnormalities; D020785:Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004388:Dura Mater / Q000098:blood supply; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002538:Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008576:Meningeal Arteries / Q000002:abnormalities; D008875:Middle Aged; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015588:Observer Variation; D009777:Occipital Bone / Q000098:blood supply; D009880:Ophthalmic Artery / Q000002:abnormalities; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D054063:Superior Sagittal Sinus / Q000002:abnormalities; D054064:Transverse Sinuses / Q000002:abnormalities