Shanshan Xie BMedSc, MMed, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Jingliang Cheng MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yong Zhang DO, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To explore the diagnostic value of high-resolution MRI (HRMRI) in the evaluation of middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis or occlusion using MRA and DSA.

Fifty-five (33 males and 22 females, aged from 18 to 68 years old, mean age 44.8±11.2) patients with MCA territory symptoms underwent preliminary MRA or CTA to detect ipsilateral MCA stenosis. Thereafter, all the patients underwent MRA, HRMRI and DSA, with an average interval of 3.4 days. Based on the results of DSA, the gold standard, and compared with MRA, the diagnostic value of HRMRI was analyzed for measuring the degree of MCA stenosis.

55 segments were diagnosed consistently by MRA, HRMRI and DSA. The rate of coincidence between HRMRI and DSA was 83.6%（46/55）. The overestimation rate of MRA was 61.8% (34/55). The MCA stenosis rates were (70±17)%, (68±19)% and (85±20)% on HRMRI, DSA and MRA, respectively. There was no statistical difference observed to evaluate the degree of stenosis by HRMRI and DSA (Z=-1.192, p=0.233), whereas observed significant statistical difference between HRMRI and MRA (t=-6.604, P=0.000). HRMRI-derived value correlated more significantly r with DSA (Pearson’s r=0.893, P=0.000) than with MRA (Spearman’s r=0.602, P=0.000). HRMRI and DSA conformed well in evaluation of the stenosis rate (Kappa= 0.773), meanwhile, 0.355 between HRMRI and MRA.

For evaluating MCA stenosis or occlusion, HRMRI consists with DSA better than MRA does. HRMRI, therefore possesses the potential to be the gold standard for diagnosing cerebral artery stenosis.

HRMRI may become the standard method to detect MCA stenosis, where the results are in consistent with DSA and the overestimation of MRA is avoided.

Xie, S, Cheng, J, Zhang, Y, Evaluative Study of HRMRI Effectiveness in Assessing MCA Stenosis.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14013768.html