RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Detection of Intracranial Atherosclerotic Steno-Occlusive Disease with 3D Time-of-Flight Magnetic Resonance Angiography with Sensitivity Encoding at 3T
JF American Journal of Neuroradiology
JO Am. J. Neuroradiol.
FD American Society of Neuroradiology
SP 439
OP 446
VO 28
IS 3
A1 C.G. Choi
A1 D.H. Lee
A1 J.H. Lee
A1 H.W. Pyun
A1 D.W. Kang
A1 S.U. Kwon
A1 J.K. Kim
A1 S.J. Kim
A1 D.C. Suh
YR 2007
UL http://www.ajnr.org/content/28/3/439.abstract
AB BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The spatial resolution of 3D time-of-flight MR angiography (TOF-MRA) can be improved within a reasonable examination time by combining 3T and sensitivity encoding technique. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of high-resolution 3D TOF-MRA at 3T in patients with suspected atherosclerotic steno-occlusive disease of the intracranial arteries.MATERIALS AND METHODS: We assessed 160 arteries in 39 patients: 68 distal internal carotid arteries, 68 middle cerebral arteries, and 24 vertebrobasilar arteries. The measured voxel size of 3D TOF-MRA was 0.28 × 0.56 × 1.2 mm3. Steno-occlusive disease was assessed independently by 2 observers using conventional angiography as the reference standard.RESULTS: According to observers 1 and 2, respectively, 3D TOF-MRA at 3T had a sensitivity of 78%/85% (21/27, 23/27), a specificity of 95%/95% (126/133, 127/133), a positive predictive value of 75%/79% (21/28, 23/29), and a negative predictive value of 95%/97% (126/132, 127/131), using a 50%–99% threshold of diameter stenosis. For detection of complete occlusion, according to observers 1 and 2, respectively, 3D TOF-MRA at 3T had a sensitivity of 100% (13/13), a specificity of 99% (145/147), a positive predictive value of 87% (13/15), and a negative predictive value of 100% (145/145). Interobserver agreement of 3D TOF-MRA was excellent (κ = 0.81).CONCLUSION: High-resolution 3D TOF-MRA with sensitivity encoding at 3T can be used as a reliable diagnostic tool for the detection of clinically significant steno-occlusive disease of major intracranial arteries.