CT angiography has become the
primary imaging method in many centers during the past few decades, partially because of its speed in scanning, which is especially suitable for acute subarachnoid hemorrhage patients. The main disadvantages include radiation, skull base artifacts in imaging and potential harm from iodine used in the scanning.[19, 20] In our institution, CTA is not recommended for a routine. The advent of MRA may challenge the role of traditional imaging methods. MRA, requiring no radiation or iodine, is the best method especially for screening anomalies or aneurysms of intracranial arteries. With GS-1101 concentration MRA, especially with VR reconstruction, it is possible to evaluate the whole anterior circulation at one time, allowing more accurate differentiation of Az from other ACA anomalies, and easier identification of the associated aneurysms. Furthermore, the specificity and sensitivity of 3-D-TOF MRA in detecting intracranial aneurysm is comparable to DSA, as proved in our previous work in which the patient based specificity and sensitivity of 3-D-TOF R788 MRA is reported up to 94.4% and 99.2%, respectively.[21]
So, 3-D-TOF-MRA at 3.0 T may replace DSA as a contrast-free, noninvasive, and nonradiation-based modality for the diagnosis and screening of intracranial aneurysms and other vascular anomalies.[21] To our knowledge, this study has reported for the first time the use of 3-D-TOF MRA with VR in screening and diagnosing Az and associated aneurysms with high imaging quality and feasibility. However, it should be noted that image quality might be degraded by some artifacts, including equipment vibration and patient movement.[22] 3-D-TOF MRA may overestimate blood turbulence or overlook small or slow-flowing vessels.[7, 23] Therefore, it is important
for us that the thin slice of source of MRI images and MIP images must be reviewed for confirmation of the anomaly. It should take a longer selleck time to scan than CT angiography and it is unsuitable for patients with metal implants or pacemakers.[7] The higher demand for MRA scanners and workstation software may be an obstacle for its application and popularization. Despite these limitations, we still strongly recommend MRA as an initial method to either screen or preoperatively evaluate ACA anomalies with or without associated aneurysms. 3-D-TOF MRA with VR has been shown to be feasible for screening and diagnosing Az and associated aneurysms with high imaging quality. This study has been supported by the National Natural Scientific Fund of China (Contract number: 30970793). “
“This study aims to investigate the regional changes in the early onset of blindness using the deformation-based morphometry (DBM) method. A total of 15 early blindness and 30 gender- and age-matched sighted control subjects were recruited for the study.