Ischemic and hemorrhagic moyamoya disease in adults: CT findings

To investigate the findings of adult moyamoya disease (MD) of different types on plain CT, brain perfusion CT (CTP) and brain CT angiography (CTA).

A total of 48 patients with ischemic MD and hemorrhagic MD were recruited into present study, and findings were collected from plain CT, CTP and CTA.

The incidence of watershed or cortex stroke in ischemic MD (55.6% and 38.9%) was higher than in hemorrhagic MD (0%). The incidence of ventricle or basal ganglia stroke in hemorrhagic MD (40.0%, 43.3%) was higher than in ischemic MD (0%, 5.6%). CTP showed hypoperfusion in 11 patients, hyperperfusion in 12 and normal perfusion in 25. Ischemic MD patients were more likely to present hypoperfusion (61.1%; normal perfusion: 22.2%; hyperperfusion: 16.7%). Hemorrhagic MD patients were more likely to present normal perfusion (70%; hyperperfusion: 30%; hypoperfusion: 0%). The incidence of grade II MD in ischemic MD (27.8%) was higher than in hemorrhagic MD (6.7%). The incidences of grade IV and V MD in hemorrhagic MD (33.3% and 16.7%) were higher than in ischemic MD (16.7% and 11.0%).

Hemorrhagic MD is dominant in adults with MD and stroke of these patients mainly occurs at the intraventricular space and basal ganglia. Ischemic MD in adults is characterized by hypoperfusion and hemorrhagic MD by normal perfusion on CTP. MD in adults is usually classified as grade II, III or IV on CTA.