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High-resolution intracranial vessel wall imaging using 3D CUBE T1 weighted sequence
Ming-Li Li1, Yu-Yuan Xu2, Bo Hou1
1Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.
Insights
High-resolution 3D CUBE T1WI is a feasible technique for intracranial vessel wall imaging, clearly displaying vessel walls and lumen. This method accurately detects intracranial artery abnormalities with high reproducibility.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Intracranial vessel wall imaging is crucial for diagnosing cerebrovascular diseases.
- High-resolution imaging techniques are needed to visualize subtle vessel wall pathologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of using high-resolution 3D CUBE T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) for intracranial vessel wall imaging.
- To evaluate the image quality and reproducibility of this technique in depicting intracranial arteries.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective evaluation of high-resolution 3D CUBE T1WI (0.4 mm resolution) in 50 patients.
- Scoring of vessel wall and lumen visualization using a 5-point scale.
- Calculation of inter-observer and intra-observer reproducibility for identifying plaques, hemorrhage, thrombosis, and enhancement.
Main Results:
- A total of 893 artery segments were analyzed, demonstrating clear visualization of vessel walls and lumens.
- Image quality scores varied by segment, with highest scores for C6-7 segments and lowest for internal carotid artery C3 segments.
- High reproducibility was observed for identifying normal walls, plaques, luminal thrombosis, and wall enhancement.
Conclusions:
- High-resolution 3D CUBE T1WI provides clear visualization of intracranial vessel walls and lumens.
- The technique effectively detects intracranial artery abnormalities with high diagnostic reproducibility.
Purpose:
To evaluate the feasibility of high-resolution 3D CUBE T1WI for intracranial vessel wall imaging.
Methods:
High-resolution 3D CUBE T1 weighted intracranial vessel wall images (0.4 mm × 0.4 mm × 0.4 mm) of 50 patients were retrospectively evaluated. A 5-point scale (1 poor, 5 excellent) was used to score the imaging quality for displaying the vessel wall of every intracranial artery segments. The inter-observer and intra-observer reproducibility of identifying plaques, intraplaque hemorrhage/luminal thrombosis, and wall enhancement were calculated.
Results:
Totally 893 artery segments were evaluated. 3D CUBE T1WI displayed the arteries wall and lumen clearly, with the highest score (4.920 ± 0.837) for the C6-7 segments and the lowest (3.370 ± 1.107) for the C3 segments of the internal carotid artery (ICA). Both intra-observer and inter-observer reproducibility were high for identification of normal walls (κ=0.928, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.891-0.954; κ=0.911, CI 0.868-0.940), plaque (κ=0.924, CI 0.884-0.954; κ=0.907, CI 0.866-0.943), luminal thrombosis (κ=1.000, CI 1.000-1.000; κ=1.000, CI 1.000-1.000), and wall enhancement (κ=1.000, CI 1.000-1.000; κ=0.914, CI 0.863-0.961).
Conclusions:
High-resolution 3D CUBE T1WI displayed intracranial wall and lumen clearly, and detected intracranial artery abnormalities with high reproducibility.
