MR imaging assessment of cerebral vascular disease: A combination of angiographic and parenchymal techniques

This study tested the accuracy and clinical utility of a three-dimensional MR angiographic technique of the cervical carotids in combination with a routine spin-echo examination of the brain as a screening examination for cerebrovascular disease in 23 patients. The technique used a fast low-angle shot sequence with a reduced echo time and voxel size, gradient refocusing, and time of flight effects to minimize signal loss secondary to phase dispersion and maximize vessel contrast. Subsequent multiplanar three-dimensional reconstructions were obtained at 50 increments about the z-axis via ray-tracing linear thresholding algorithms. Examinations were compared with IV/IA-digital subtraction angiography or Doppler US as the objective of accuracy. Results of this ongoing study indicate that an MR angiographic screening examination can be coupled with routine brain MR imaging with only a 10-14 minute extension of examination time, providing both a vascular and a parenchymal evaluation