title: High resolution imaging of the intracranial vessel wall at 3 and 7 T using 3D fast spin echo MRI.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  High resolution MRI of the intracranial vessel wall provides important insights in the assessment of intracranial vascular disease. This study aims to refine high resolution 3D MRI techniques for intracranial vessel wall imaging at both 3 and 7 T using customized flip angle train design, and to explore their comparative abilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  11 patients with intracranial artery disease (four atherosclerotic plaques, six aneurysms and one reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome) were imaged at 3 and 7 T with a 3D T 1-weighted fast-spin-echo sequence (SPACE) both pre and post Gd contrast injection. Wall to lumen contrast ratio (CRwall-lumen), contrast enhancement ratio (ER) and the sharpness of the vessel wall were quantified. Two experienced radiologists evaluated the image quality on a 0-5 scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both 3 and 7 T achieved good image quality with high resolution (nominal 0.5 mm isotropic) and whole brain coverage. The CRwall-lumen and the ER measurements were comparable (p > 0.05). The 7 T images were significantly sharper (sharpness: 2.69 ± 0.50 vs. 1.88 ± 0.53 mm(-1), p < 0.001) with higher image quality (reader 1 score: 3.5 ± 1.1 vs. 2.4 ± 1.1, p = 0.002) compared to 3 T.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  3D T 1-weighted SPACE can be used for intracranial vessel wall evaluation at both 3 and 7 T. 7 T provides significantly better image quality and improves the confidence of diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94121, USA. Chengcheng.Zhu@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Chengcheng
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6898-549X
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94121, USA.
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haraldsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94121, USA.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meisel
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Nerissa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lawton
authors.affiliation: Siemens Healthcare, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grinstead
authors.affiliation: Siemens Healthcare, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Sinyeob
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Siemens Healthcare, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laub
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94121, USA.|Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94121, USA.|Radiology Service, VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saloner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000783:Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011871:Radiology / Q000379:methods; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D005682:Gadolinium
keywords: Aneurysm; Atherosclerosis; Contrast enhancement; High resolution MRI; Intracranial vessel wall