High-resolution intracranial vessel wall imaging using 3D CUBE T1 weighted sequence

Eur J Radiol. 2016 Apr;85(4):803-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2016.01.014. Epub 2016 Jan 21.

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of high-resolution 3D CUBE T1WI for intracranial vessel wall imaging.

Methods: High-resolution 3D CUBE T1 weighted intracranial vessel wall images (0.4 mm × 0.4 mm × 0.4 mm) of 50 patients were retrospectively evaluated. A 5-point scale (1 poor, 5 excellent) was used to score the imaging quality for displaying the vessel wall of every intracranial artery segments. The inter-observer and intra-observer reproducibility of identifying plaques, intraplaque hemorrhage/luminal thrombosis, and wall enhancement were calculated.

Results: Totally 893 artery segments were evaluated. 3D CUBE T1WI displayed the arteries wall and lumen clearly, with the highest score (4.920 ± 0.837) for the C6-7 segments and the lowest (3.370 ± 1.107) for the C3 segments of the internal carotid artery (ICA). Both intra-observer and inter-observer reproducibility were high for identification of normal walls (κ=0.928, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.891-0.954; κ=0.911, CI 0.868-0.940), plaque (κ=0.924, CI 0.884-0.954; κ=0.907, CI 0.866-0.943), luminal thrombosis (κ=1.000, CI 1.000-1.000; κ=1.000, CI 1.000-1.000), and wall enhancement (κ=1.000, CI 1.000-1.000; κ=0.914, CI 0.863-0.961).

Conclusions: High-resolution 3D CUBE T1WI displayed intracranial wall and lumen clearly, and detected intracranial artery abnormalities with high reproducibility.

Keywords: High-resolution; Intracranial artery; Magnetic resonance imaging; T1 weighted imaging; Three-dimensional imaging; Vessel wall imaging.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Basilar Artery / pathology
  • Carotid Artery, Internal / pathology
  • Carotid Stenosis / diagnosis
  • Cerebral Angiography / methods*
  • Cerebral Angiography / statistics & numerical data
  • Contrast Media
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Female
  • Gadolinium DTPA
  • Humans
  • Image Enhancement / methods
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / statistics & numerical data
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / methods*
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / statistics & numerical data
  • Intracranial Arterial Diseases / diagnosis
  • Intracranial Thrombosis / diagnosis
  • Magnetic Resonance Angiography / methods*
  • Magnetic Resonance Angiography / statistics & numerical data
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuroimaging / methods
  • Neuroimaging / statistics & numerical data
  • Plaque, Atherosclerotic / diagnosis
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Vertebral Artery / pathology

Substances

  • Contrast Media
  • Gadolinium DTPA