title: Reliability of cerebral vein volume quantification based on susceptibility-weighted imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) visualizes even small cerebral veins and might, therefore, be valuable in monitoring neurological diseases affecting cerebral veins. Since it is generally difficult to evaluate individual results of quantitative MRI measurements, an automatic approach would be highly appreciated to assist the diagnostic process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rescan and reanalysis reliability using an automatic venous volumetric approach based on SWI in healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  SWI was performed in ten healthy controls undergoing MRI examinations using a 32-channel head coil at 3 T five times on five different days. To test for rescan and reanalysis variability, the deep cerebral vein volume was quantified using ANTs and SPM8.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total volumes of cerebral deep veins measured during five MRI scans in ten individuals (n = 50 scans) showed intra-individual volume changes ranging from 0.07 to 1.03 ml (mean variability = 10.2 %). Automatic reanalyses revealed exactly the same results in all scans.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Automatic SWI-based cerebral vein volumetry shows acceptable rescan-and excellent reanalyses-reliability in healthy volunteers. Therefore, this approach might be beneficial in intra-individual follow-up studies of neurological diseases affecting the cerebral venous system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106, Freiburg, Germany. karl.egger@uniklinik-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Egger
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Dempfle
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schwarzwald
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harloff
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Urbach
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002550:Cerebral Veins / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: Cerebral deep vein; Rescan; Retest; SWI; Volumetry