Imaging and analysis of lenticulostriate arteries using 7.0-Tesla magnetic resonance angiography

The purpose of this study was to analyze human lenticulostriate arteries (LSAs) obtained non-invasively by 7.0-T MRI. A three-dimensional time-of-flight (3D TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) technique was used with an investigational 7.0-T MRI scanner with a radio-frequency coil that was optimized and designed for angiographic purposes. We obtained images from 16 healthy volunteers (8 males and 8 females, mean age 21 +/- 2.7 years). For direct comparison of LSA images with digital subtraction angiography (DSA), we also obtained 7.0-T MRA and DSA images from one patient, a 27-year-old woman with a posterior fossa arteriovenous malformation (AVM). We then analyzed the characteristics of LSAs using a custom data analysis method with MatLab for quantitative analysis. Analysis of LSA images included shape and number of branches and origins, findings that are essential and useful for quantification of LSA abnormalities in both healthy controls and patients. Ultra-high-field MRA provided clear anatomic delineation of the LSAs, thereby suggesting that 7.0-T MRA may be a promising technique for microvascular imaging of the LSAs.