Diagnostic Performance of Routine Brain MRI Sequences for Dural Venous Sinus Thrombosis

Area of Science:

• Neuroradiology
• Medical Imaging
• Neurology

Background:

• Dural venous sinus thrombosis (DVST) can be suggested by routine MRI.
• This study evaluates routine MRI's diagnostic performance for DVST.

Purpose of the Study:

• Assess routine MRI performance for DVST diagnosis.
• Evaluate interrater reliability of routine MRI findings.
• Focus on superior sagittal, transverse, and sigmoid sinuses.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case series of 429 patients.
• Routine MRIs reviewed independently by 3 neuroradiologists.
• Contrast-enhanced MRV and CTV used as gold standard.
• Interrater reliability assessed using kappa coefficient.

Main Results:

• DVST present in 16.8% of cases (72/429).
• Routine MRI sequences showed 79.2% sensitivity and 89.9% specificity.
• Moderate interrater reliability (κ = 0.50) observed.

Conclusions:

• Routine MRI can suggest DVST with high specificity.
• Effective even in patients without clinical suspicion.
• Useful for identifying DVST in high-risk individuals.