Abstract
Assessment of the diagnostic usefulness of MRA in evaluation of patients with acute intra cranial steno-occlusive arterial disease.
84 patients with acute intracranial steno-occlusive arterial disease were subjected to the following brain MRI protocol: Axials DWI, T1WI, T2WI, FLAIR, T2∗ Gradient Echo Imaging and 3D TOF MRA.
Eighty four patients (M/F=49/35) aged between 28 and 86years. MRA findings of arterial segments correlated with location of the ischemic lesions described by different MRI sequences including the DWI in all cases (100%). MRA of the intracranial vessels revealed 60 arterial segments with occlusions/absent flow. Occlusions were most common in MCAs (n=45) followed by PCAs (n=9). 31 arterial segments with stenosis were seen, and they were mainly affecting arterial territories of PCAs (n=16). Atheromatous plaques were identified at the Lt. ICA in 3 cases and in Rt. ICA in 2 cases, absent A1 segment of Rt. ACA (n=12), absent A1 segment of Lt. ACA (n=2), dominant Rt. VA (n=6), dominant Lt. VA (n=4) and Dolichoectasia of BA (n=4).
MRA provides early detailed diagnosis of occlusive intracranial arterial disease through detection of exact site of arterial affection.