Cerebral venography and flow quantification with MR

The authors describe an approach for creating projection venograms of the head and quantifying flow in the cerebral veins and sinuses. A series of two- dimensional flow-compensated gradient-echo images were acquired. Signal from arteries was eliminated by application of a 5-cm-thick presaturation slab to the neck. The images were postprocessed with use of a maximum intensity projection algorithm to produce projection venograms. In addition, flow directionally, flow velocity, and, in the superior sagittal sinus (SSS), flow volume was assessed by means of a dynamic bolus tracking technique. Flow velocities in the SSS ranged from 20.1 to 45.5 cm/sec, and flow volumes from 269 to 612 mL/min. This technique was able to identify cerebral venous thrombosis and partial SSS obstruction, cerebral venous angiomas, and venous drainage of arteriovenous malformations and to demonstrate patency of the SSS with falx meningiomas