title: Intra- and Extracranial MR Venography: Technical Notes, Clinical Application, and Imaging Development.
abstract: Scientific debate over chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) has drawn attention to venous system involvement in a series of pathologic brain conditions. In the last few decades, the MRI venography (MRV) field has developed a number of valuable sequences to better investigate structural anatomy, vessel patency, and flow characteristics of venous drainage in the intra- and extracranial systems. A brief two-tier protocol is proposed to encompass the study of intra- and extracranial venous drainage with and without contrast administration, respectively. Contrast-enhanced protocol is based on time-resolved contrast-enhanced MRV of the whole region plus extracranial flow quantification through 2D Cine phase contrast (PC); non-contrast-enhanced protocol includes intracranial 3D PC, extracranial 2D time of flight (TOF), and 2D Cine PC flow quantification. Total scanning time is reasonable for clinical applications: approximately seven minutes is allocated for the contrast protocol (most of which is due to 2D Cine PC), while the noncontrast protocol accounts for around twenty minutes. We believe that a short though exhaustive MRI scan of the whole intra- and extracranial venous drainage system can be valuable for a variety of pathologic conditions, given the possible venous implication in several neurological conditions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Radiology, University of Pavia, Viale Golgi 19, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paoletti
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Casimiro Mondino, Via Mondino 2, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Germani
authors.affiliation: Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Bassi 21, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Icco
authors.affiliation: Institute of Radiology, University of Pavia, Viale Golgi 19, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Asteggiano
authors.affiliation: Unit of Translational Surgery, University of Ferrara, Via Aldo Moro 8, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zamboni
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Casimiro Mondino, Via Mondino 2, Pavia, Italy; Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Bassi 21, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bastianello
mesh_terms: D065634:Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D010690:Phlebography / Q000379:methods; D014689:Venous Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*