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Abstract
Purpose
We compared diagnostic performance of 3D Time of flight MRA with contrast-enhanced MRA to detect and quantify intracranial atherosclerotic occlusive disease.
Materials and Methods
From April 2007 to December 2009, we enrolled 95 patients with clinically suspected intracranial atherosclerotic steno-occlusive disease who had undergone 3D TOF-MRA and CE MRA at 1.5T or 3T with DSA. Two radiologists analyzed the post-processed images using a maximum intensity projection. Intracranial vessels were categorized as distal internal carotid artery, middle cerebral artery or vertebrobasillar artery. We graded the degree of stenosis and assigned subjects to one of three groups: low grade occlusion (<50%), high grade occlusion (50-99%) and complete occlusion. Using the McNemar test, we compared the results of CE MRA with those of 3D TOF for detecting >50% stenosis using DSA as a reference standard.
Results
CE MRA had 94.2% sensitivity, 88.1% specificity, 51% positive predictive value, 99.1% negative predictive value and 88.8% diagnostic accuracy for detecting >50% stenosis; In contrast, 3D TOF-MRA showed 94.2% sensitivity, 91.6.1% specificity, 59.8% positive predictive value, 99.1% negative predictive value and 91.9% diagnostic accuracy. Sensitivity and specificity of CE MRA were not significantly different than sensitivity and specificity of 3D TOF MRA (p >0.05).
Figures and Tables
Fig. 1
A 71-year-old male patient with dizziness.
A, B. DSA and 3D TOF MRA show a low grade stenosis (arrow) at right MCA.
C. In contrast, this lesion is misdiagnosed as a high grade stenosis (arrow) on CE MRA.
Fig. 2
A 60-year-old female patient with left side weakness.
A. DSA shows a high grade stenosis (arrow) at right MCA.
B, C. CE MRA and 3D TOF MRA show high low grade stenosis (arrow) at the corresponding location.
Fig. 3
A 67-year-old male patient with left side weakness.
A, B. DSA and 3D TOF MRA show a complete occlusion (arrow) at right MCA.
C. CE MRA shows not only complete occlusion (arrow) at the corresponding location, but also leptomeningeal collateral circulation.
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