Noninvasive evaluation of intracranial vessel wall lesions using high-resolution three-dimensional magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging

我们试图通过使用T1加权三维血管壁成像(3D-VWI)技术来评估颅内动脉壁病变。在大脑中动脉(MCA)区急性非心源性卒中患者中，所有患者均观察到大脑中动脉(MCA)管壁增厚，提示有动脉粥样硬化斑块。此外，斑块的信号强度在同侧大脑中动脉和动脉血栓栓塞组明显增强。在急性椎基底动脉夹层的患者中，与常规成像技术相比，3D-VW I更容易显示诸如管腔狭窄、动脉瘤样扩张和壁内血肿等特征性表现。3D-VWI技术可以直观地显示缺血性卒中和夹层患者的颅内动脉壁病变，特别是在急性期有助于诊断这些病变。

We attempted to evaluate intracranial arterial wall lesions by using a T1-weighted three-dimensional vessel wall imaging (3D-VWI) technique. In patients with acute non-cardioembolic stroke in middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory, wall thickening of the MCA, which is suggestive of atherosclerotic plaques, was observed in all the patients. In addition, signal intensity of the plaque was significantly increased in the ipsilateral MCA and in the patients with atherothrombolic infarction. In patients with acute vertebrobasilar artery dissection, characteristic findings such as luminal stenosis, aneurysmal dilatation, and intramural hematoma were readily depicted on 3D-VWI when compared with conventional imaging techniques. The 3D-VWI technique can directly visualize intracranial arterial wall lesions in patients with ischemic stroke and dissection, and can be helpful to diagnose these disorders particularly in the acute period.