More articles from Brain
- T1 Gadolinium Enhancement of Intracranial Atherosclerotic Plaques Associated with Symptomatic Ischemic Presentations
The degree of contrast enhancement was assessed in 22 high-grade intracranial stenoses that were either symptomatic or asymptomatic. Seventy percent of symptomatic plaques showed contrast enhancement whereas this was seen in only 8% of those that were asymptomatic. This study suggests that intracranial stenoses can be evaluated with conventional MRI protocols and that there is a strong association between plaque contrast enhancement and ischemic symptoms.
- Arterial Spin-Labeled Perfusion Imaging Reflects Vascular Density in Nonfunctioning Pituitary Macroadenomas
In this study, arterial spin-labeling perfusion was used as a means to assess the well-known angiogenic activity seen in pituitary macroadenomas. Eleven patients with macroadenoma were studied and their ASL results correlated with histologic total microvascular density. The authors found that routine contrast enhancement did not correlate with microvascular density but CBF did and it also correlated with hypervascularity at surgery or postoperative bleeding in 4 instances.
- Structural Abnormalities in Patients with Insular/Peri-insular Epilepsy: Spectrum, Frequency, and Pharmacoresistance
The authors reviewed imaging studies in 48 patients with insular/peri-insular epilepsy seen during a 9-year period. They found the following types of lesions: tumors (27%), cortical malformations (21%), vascular malformations (19%), and gliosis (17%,), and normal results in 8% of subjects. Refractoriness to treatment was seen in all lesions but predominantly in patients with cortical malformations.
- Perfusion Deficits Detected by Arterial Spin-Labeling in Patients with TIA with Negative Diffusion and Vascular Imaging
The current definition of TIA calls for normal imaging including DWI. Here the authors used arterial spin-labeling perfusion to detect abnormalities in nearly 50 patients within 24 hours of symptom onset and in 36 controls. The sensitivity and specificity of ASL in TIA diagnosis was 55.8% and 90.7%, respectively, and in nearly 94% of readings abnormalities that matched the clinical neurologic deficits were identified by the 3 observers. Thus, ASL perfusion is promising in evaluating and understanding TIAs.