- High Spatiotemporal Resolution 4D Flow MRI of Intracranial Aneurysms at 7T in 10 Minutes
The authors used pseudospiral Cartesian undersampling with compressed sensing reconstruction to achieve high spatiotemporal resolution (0.5mm isotropic, ∼30 ms) in a scan time of 10 minutes. They analyzed the repeatability of accelerated 4D-flow scans and compared flow rates, stroke volume, and the pulsatility index with 2D-flow and conventional 4D-flow MR imaging in a flow phantom and 15 healthy subjects. Mean flow-rate bias compared with 2D-flow was lower for accelerated than for conventional 4D-flow MR imaging. Pulsatility index bias gave similar results. Stroke volume bias showed no difference from accelerated bias for conventional 4D-flow MR imaging. Repeatability for accelerated 4D-flow was similar to that of 2D-flow MR imaging. They conclude that highly accelerated high-spatiotemporal-resolution 4D-flow MR imaging at 7T in intracranial arteries and aneurysms provides repeatable and accurate quantitative flow values.
- Cervicofacial Venous Malformations Are Associated with Intracranial Developmental Venous Anomalies and Dural Venous Sinus Abnormalities
Sixty-three consecutive patients who presented to the authors' institution with cervicofacial venous malformations and underwent postcontrast MR imaging were studied. Three neuroradiologists reviewed brain MRIs for the presence of developmental venous anomalies, dural venous sinus ectasia, and cavernous malformations. The prevalence of developmental venous anomalies in this patient population was compared with an age- and sex-matched control group without venous malformations. The overall presence of developmental venous anomalies in patients with venous malformations was 36.5% (23/63) compared with 7.9% (10/126) in controls. The prevalence of dural venous sinus ectasia was 9.5% (6/63) compared with 0% for controls. The authors show a significant association between cervicofacial venous malformations and cerebral developmental venous anomalies as well as between cervicofacial venous malformations and dural venous sinus abnormalities.
- Fetal and Neonatal MRI Predictors of Aggressive Early Clinical Course in Vein of Galen Malformation
The authors aimed to identify brain MR imaging characteristics obtained from fetal and early neonatal scans that can predict the clinical presentation. A total of 32 neonatal patients (21 patients in the neonatal at-risk cohort, 11 in the infantile treatment cohort) were identified. Maximal mediolateral diameter and cross-sectional area at the narrowest point of the straight/falcine sinus were most predictive of clinical evolution into the neonatal at-risk cohort. This measurement clearly and unambiguously differentiated between high- and low-risk cohorts. The ability to accurately predict clinical evolution after birth based on fetal MR imaging can be of help for both caregivers and families, enabling better preparedness for urgent treatment and better planning for allocation of resources.