Susceptibility-weighted MR imaging: a better technique in the detection of capillary telangiectasia compared with T2 gradient-echo

U S Chaudhry; D E De Bruin; B A Policeni

doi:10.3174/ajnr.A4082

Back

Susceptibility-weighted MR imaging: a better technique in the detection of capillary telangiectasia compared with T2 gradient-echo

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Susceptibility-weighted MR imaging: a better technique in the detection of capillary telangiectasia compared with T2 gradient-echo

U S Chaudhry, D E De Bruin and B A Policeni

American journal of neuroradiology : AJNR, Vol.35(12), pp.2302-2305

12/2014

DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A4082

PMID: 25147196

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.3174/ajnr.A4082View

Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Enhancing lesions on brain MR imaging can present a diagnostic quandary as both benign lesions such as brain capillary telangiectasia and pathologic lesions such as demyelination may appear similar. Stagnation of blood in low-flow venous channels of brain capillary telangiectasias results in susceptibility effect secondary to the increased local deoxyhemoglobin. Both T2* gradient-echo imaging and SWI were demonstrated as valuable in the diagnosis of brain capillary telangiectasia. Because SWI is more sensitive to susceptibility changes than gradient-echo, we aim to demonstrate increased diagnostic value of SWI compared with gradient-echo in making the diagnosis of brain capillary telangiectasia. We retrospectively reviewed the MR images of 17 patients with a presumed diagnosis of brain capillary telangiectasia and who were examined from June 2010 to September 2012. All patients underwent MR imaging at 1.5T with T1, T2, FLAIR, gradient-echo, SWI, and gadolinium-enhanced T1 sequences. Lesions were evaluated for the presence or absence of signal abnormality on each particular sequence. All 17 brain capillary telangiectasias demonstrated distinct signal-intensity loss on SWI compared with 7 of 17 (41%) who showed signal-intensity loss on gradient-echo. The increased frequency of detection using SWI versus gradient-echo is statistically significant (z = 2.85, P < .01; χ(2) = 8.10, P < .01). Six of the lesions showed signal-intensity changes on T1 and/or T2 whereas the remaining lesions were isointense to normal brain. Brain capillary telangiectasias are more conspicuous on SWI than gradient-echo imaging and other precontrast MR imaging. SWI is a valuable tool in diagnosing these benign lesions and should serve to increase diagnostic confidence.

Humans

Middle Aged

Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations - diagnosis

Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods

Male

Echo-Planar Imaging

Contrast Media

Brain - pathology

Adult

Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations - pathology

Female

Aged

Retrospective Studies

Gadolinium DTPA

Details

Title: Subtitle: Susceptibility-weighted MR imaging: a better technique in the detection of capillary telangiectasia compared with T2 gradient-echo
Creators: U S Chaudhry - From the Department of Radiology (U.S.C., D.E.D., B.A.P.)
D E De Bruin - From the Department of Radiology (U.S.C., D.E.D., B.A.P.) Section of Neuroradiology (D.E.D., B.A.P.), University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
B A Policeni - From the Department of Radiology (U.S.C., D.E.D., B.A.P.) Section of Neuroradiology (D.E.D., B.A.P.), University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa. bruno-policeni@uiowa.edu
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: American journal of neuroradiology : AJNR, Vol.35(12), pp.2302-2305
DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A4082
PMID: 25147196
NLM abbreviation: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol
ISSN: 0195-6108
eISSN: 1936-959X
Publisher: United States
Language: English
Date published: 12/2014
Academic Unit: Radiology; Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine; Otolaryngology
Record Identifier: 9984051761602771

Metrics

16 Record Views

11 Times Cited - Web of Science