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Follow-up assessment of coiled intracranial aneurysms using zTE MRA as compared with TOF MRA: a preliminary image quality study

  • Vascular-Interventional
  • Published:
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Abstract

Objectives

To prospectively assess coiled intracranial aneurysms using a novel non-contrast enhanced zero echo time (zTE) MR angiography (MRA) method, and compare its image quality with time-of-flight (TOF) MRA, using digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as reference.

Methods

Twenty-five patients (10 males and 15 females; age 53.96 ± 12.46 years) were enrolled in this monocentric study. MRA sequences were performed 24 h before DSA. Susceptibility artefact intensity and flow signal within the parent artery were carried out using a 4-point scale. Occlusion status was assessed using the 3-grade Montreal scale.

Results

Scores of zTE were higher than TOF for both susceptibility artefact intensity (3.42 ± 0.64, 2.92 ± 0.63, P = 0.01) and flow signal (3.66 ± 0.95, 3.24 ± 1.24, P = 0.01). DSA revealed 17 complete occlusions, five residual neck aneurysms and two residual aneurysms. Inter-observer agreement was excellent (weighted κ: 0.89) for zTE and good (weighted κ: 0.68) for TOF. Intermodality agreement was excellent for zTE (weighted κ: 0.95) and good for TOF (weighted κ: 0.80). Correlations of both MRA sequences with DSA were high (zTE, Spearman’s ρ: 0.91; TOF, Spearman’s ρ: 0.81).

Conclusions

zTE MRA showed promising results for follow-up assessment of coiled intracranial aneurysms and was superior to TOF MRA for visualizing the parent artery and evaluating occlusion status.

Key Points

• Various MRA sequences were applied for follow-up assessment of coiled intracranial aneurysms.

• zTE MRA was less sensitive to susceptibility artefacts and haemodynamics.

• In this monocentric study, zTE MRA was equivalent to DSA.

• zTE MRA maybe an alternative to TOF MRA for follow-up assessment.

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Abbreviations

ACA:

Anterior cerebral artery

ACoA:

Anterior communicating artery

ASL:

Arterial spin labelling

CE:

Contrast-enhanced

CI:

Confidence interval

DSA:

Digital subtraction angiography

F:

Females

FOV:

Field of view

M:

Males

m:

Months

MIP:

Maximum intensity projection

MRA:

Magnetic resonance angiography

NEX:

Number of excitations

PCoA:

Posterior communicating artery

r:

Spearman’s correlation coefficient

TE:

Echo time

TOF:

Time of flight

TR:

Repetition time

VR:

Volume renderings

zTE:

Zero echo time

κ:

Weighted kappa value

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China

    Song’an Shang

  2. Department of Radiology, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225001, China

    Jing Ye, Xianfu Luo & Jingtao Wu

  3. MR Enhanced Application, GE Healthcare, Beijing, 100176, China

    Jianxun Qu

  4. Department of Neurosurgery, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225001, China

    Yong Zhen

Authors
  1. Song’an Shang
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  2. Jing Ye
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  3. Xianfu Luo
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  4. Jianxun Qu
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  5. Yong Zhen
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  6. Jingtao Wu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jingtao Wu.

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Guarantor

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Jingtao Wu.

Conflict of interest

The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article.

Funding

This study received funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC 81571652).

Statistics and biometry

No complex statistical methods were necessary for this paper.

Ethical approval

Institutional Review Board approval was obtained.

Informed consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects (patients) in this study.

Methodology

• prospective

• diagnostic or prognostic study

• performed at one institution

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Cite this article

Shang, S., Ye, J., Luo, X. et al. Follow-up assessment of coiled intracranial aneurysms using zTE MRA as compared with TOF MRA: a preliminary image quality study. Eur Radiol 27, 4271–4280 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-017-4794-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-017-4794-z

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