American Journal of Neuroradiology 25:84-87, January 2004
© 2004 American Society of Neuroradiology
BRAIN
Improved Image Quality of Intracranial Aneurysms: 3.0-T versus 1.5-T Time-of-Flight MR Angiography
a Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
b Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
Address reprint requests to John Huston III, MD, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We hypothesize that the nearly doubling of signal-to-noise ratio at 3.0 T compared with that at 1.5 T yields improved clinical MR angiograms and enables superior visualization of intracranial aneurysms. The goal of this study was to determine whether 3.0-T time-of-flight (TOF) MR angiography is superior to 1.5-T TOF MR angiography in the detection and characterization of intracranial aneurysms.
METHODS: Fifty consecutive patients referred for MR angiography of a known or suspected intracranial aneurysm underwent 3-T TOF MR angiography. Seventeen of these 50 patients had also previously undergone 1.5-T TOF MR angiography and these images were used as a basis for comparison with images obtained at 3.0 T. Fourteen of 23 patients in whom aneurysms were identified also underwent prior conventional angiography, which was used as the reference standard. Readers blinded to patient history identified the presence and location of aneurysm(s) on angiograms and graded images for overall image quality by using a five-point scale.
RESULTS: Twenty-eight aneurysms were identified in 23 of 50 patients. Seventeen aneurysms in 17 patients had been documented with 1.5-T MR angiography. The 3.0-T technique had a higher mean image quality score than that of the 1.5-T MR technique (P < .0001). Both 3.0-T and 1.5-T TOF MR angiography depicted all the aneurysms that had been documented by conventional angiography.
CONCLUSION: 3D TOF MR angiography at 3 T offers superior depiction of intracranial aneurysms compared with that of 1.5-T TOF MR angiography.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  M. Hori, T. Kim, T. Murakami, I. Imaoka, H. Onishi, K. Tomoda, T. Tsutsui, T. Enomoto, T. Kimura, and H. Nakamura Uterine Cervical Carcinoma: Preoperative Staging with 3.0-T MR Imaging--Comparison with 1.5-T MR Imaging Radiology, April 1, 2009; 251(1): 96 - 104. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. D. Burns, J. Huston III, K. F. Layton, D. G. Piepgras, and R. D. Brown Jr Intracranial Aneurysm Enlargement on Serial Magnetic Resonance Angiography: Frequency and Risk Factors Stroke, February 1, 2009; 40(2): 406 - 411. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. Habibi, M.M. Lell, R. Steiner, S.G. Ruehm, J.W. Sayre, K. Nael, and J.P. Finn High-Resolution 3T MR Angiography of the Carotid Arteries: Comparison of Manual and Semiautomated Quantification of Stenosis AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., January 1, 2009; 30(1): 46 - 52. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. Anzalone, F. Scomazzoni, M. Cirillo, C. Righi, F. Simionato, M. Cadioli, A. Iadanza, M.A. Kirchin, and G. Scotti Follow-Up of Coiled Cerebral Aneurysms at 3T: Comparison of 3D Time-of-Flight MR Angiography and Contrast-Enhanced MR Angiography AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., September 1, 2008; 29(8): 1530 - 1536. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Y. M. Ruigrok, C. Wijmenga, G. J.E. Rinkel, R. v. Slot, F. Baas, M. Wolfs, A. Westerveld, and Y. B.W.E.M. Roos Genomewide Linkage in a Large Dutch Family With Intracranial Aneurysms: Replication of 2 Loci for Intracranial Aneurysms to Chromosome 1p36.11-p36.13 and Xp22.2-p22.32 Stroke, April 1, 2008; 39(4): 1096 - 1102. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. K. Kuhl, F. Traber, and H. H. Schild Whole-Body High-Field-Strength (3.0-T) MR Imaging in Clinical Practice * Part I. Technical Considerations and Clinical Applications Radiology, March 1, 2008; 246(3): 675 - 696. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. Nael, J. P. Villablanca, L. Mossaz, W. Pope, A. Juncosa, G. Laub, and J. P. Finn 3-T Contrast-Enhanced MR Angiography in Evaluation of Suspected Intracranial Aneurysm: Comparison with MDCT Angiography Am. J. Roentgenol., February 1, 2008; 190(2): 389 - 395. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. A Yi, T. Y. Jeon, K. S. Lee, J. H. Lee, J. B. Seo, Y. K. Kim, and M. J. Chung 3-T MRI: Usefulness for Evaluating Primary Lung Cancer and Small Nodules in Lobes Not Containing Primary Tumors Am. J. Roentgenol., August 1, 2007; 189(2): 386 - 392. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C.G. Choi, D.H. Lee, J.H. Lee, H.W. Pyun, D.W. Kang, S.U. Kwon, J.K. Kim, S.J. Kim, and D.C. Suh Detection of Intracranial Atherosclerotic Steno-Occlusive Disease with 3D Time-of-Flight Magnetic Resonance Angiography with Sensitivity Encoding at 3T AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., March 1, 2007; 28(3): 439 - 446. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. L. Schmitz, A. J. Aschoff, M. H.K. Hoffmann, and G. Gron Advantages and Pitfalls in 3T MR Brain Imaging: A Pictorial Review AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., October 1, 2005; 26(9): 2229 - 2237. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. B. L. M. Majoie, M. E. Sprengers, W. J. J. van Rooij, C. Lavini, M. Sluzewski, J. C. van Rijn, and G. J. den Heeten MR Angiography at 3T versus Digital Subtraction Angiography in the Follow-up of Intracranial Aneurysms Treated with Detachable Coils AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., June 1, 2005; 26(6): 1349 - 1356. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|