title: Qualitative Evaluation of a High-Resolution 3D Multi-Sequence Intracranial Vessel Wall Protocol at 3 Tesla MRI.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intracranial vessel wall imaging using MRI has great potential as a clinical method for assessing intracranial atherosclerosis. The purpose of the current study was to compare three 3T MRI vessel wall sequences with different contrast weightings (T1w, PD, T2w) and dedicated sagittal orientation perpendicular to the middle cerebral artery, to the reconstructed sagittal image from a transverse 3D T1w volumetric isotropically reconstructed turbo spin-echo acquisition (VIRTA), and provide a clinical recommendation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The above-mentioned sequences were acquired in 10 consecutive Chinese ischemic stroke or TIA patients (age: 68 years, sex: 4 females) with angiographic-confirmed MCA stenosis at 3T. Institutional review board approval was obtained. Two raters qualitatively scored all images on overall image quality, presence of artifacts, and visibility of plaques. Data were compared using Repeated measures ANOVA and Sidak's adjusted post hoc tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All sequences except the T2w sequence were able to depict the walls of the large vessels of the Circle of Willis (p<0.05). T1w sagittal oblique VIRTA showed significantly more artifacts (p<0.01). Peripherally located plaques were sometimes missed on the sagittal sequences, but could be appreciated on the transverse T1w VIRTA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With the 3T multi-sequence vessel wall protocol we were able to assess the intracranial plaque with two different image contrast weightings. The sequence of preference to include in a clinical protocol would be the transverse 3D T1w VIRTA based on absence of artifacts, larger coverage including the whole Circle of Willis, and excellent lesion depiction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nikki
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1841-0924
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dieleman
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Wenjie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anja G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: van der Kolk
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abrigo
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Ka Lok
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Winnie Chiu Wing
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.|Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jaco J M
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Zwanenburg
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.|Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jeroen C W
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Siero
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Ka Sing
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jeroen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hendrikse
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Fiona Xiang Yan
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011446:Prospective Studies