Document Detail


Contrast-enhanced MR angiography is not more accurate than unenhanced 2D time-of-flight MR angiography for determining > or = 70% internal carotid artery stenosis.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  19164440     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Internal carotid artery (ICA) atheromatous disease is an important cause of ischemic stroke, and endarterectomy or stent placement is typically indicated for symptomatic patients with > or = 70% stenosis. Our purpose was to compare contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) with unenhanced 2D time-of-flight MR angiography (2D TOF MRA) in detecting hemodynamically significant ICA stenosis, by using CT angiography (CTA) as the reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was an institutional review board-approved retrospective study. We identified 177 consecutive patients (354 ICAs) who received correlative CE-MRA, 2D TOF MRA, and CTA. Two neuroradiologists blinded to the CTA data graded the degree of ICA stenosis according to a 5-point scale. Additionally, luminal signal-intensity characteristics including 1) signal intensity drop-out, 2) distal-vessel narrowing, and 3) distal-vessel signal-intensity reduction were recorded. MRA results were correlated with those of CTA, and receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed. RESULTS: On CTA, there were 55 ICAs with and 299 without > or = 70% stenosis. CE-MRA was 84% sensitive and 96% specific for detecting > or = 70% stenosis; 2D TOF MRA was 80% sensitive and 95% specific. The area under the ROC curve was 0.97 for CE-MRA and 0.95 for 2D TOF MRA (P = .51, not significant). For both MRA studies, each of the luminal signal-intensity characteristics had high specificity (> 98%) but poor-to-mild sensitivity (35%-66%) in detecting > or = 70% stenosis. CONCLUSIONS: Although it is established that CE-MRA more accurately delineates neurovascular anatomy than does unenhanced 2D TOF MRA, the administration of gadolinium did not offer a significant advantage in distinguishing surgically treatable ICA stenosis. This conclusion may be important in patients with contraindications to gadolinium.
Authors:
L S Babiarz; J M Romero; E K Murphy; B Brobeck; P W Schaefer; R G González; M H Lev
Publication Detail:
Type:  Comparative Study; Journal Article; Validation Studies     Date:  2009-01-22
Journal Detail:
Title:  AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology     Volume:  30     ISSN:  1936-959X     ISO Abbreviation:  AJNR Am J Neuroradiol     Publication Date:  2009 Apr 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2009-04-08     Completed Date:  2009-06-25     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8003708     Medline TA:  AJNR Am J Neuroradiol     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  761-8     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass. 02114, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Carotid Artery, Internal / pathology
Carotid Stenosis / pathology*
Contrast Media / diagnostic use*
Female
Gadolinium / diagnostic use*
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Angiography / methods*,  standards*,  statistics & numerical data
Male
Middle Aged
Observer Variation
ROC Curve
Reference Standards
Reproducibility of Results
Retrospective Studies
Sensitivity and Specificity
Young Adult
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Contrast Media; 7440-54-2/Gadolinium

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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