Intracranial arterial wall imaging: Techniques, clinical applicability, and future perspectives

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Intracranial large artery diseases are a major cause of stroke and vascular cognitive impairment.
• Conventional imaging focuses on luminal narrowing, missing early vessel wall changes.
• Novel imaging techniques now allow noninvasive visualization of intracranial artery walls.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current state of intracranial vessel wall imaging.
• To discuss future developments in this field.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent studies.
• Expert opinion on intracranial arterial wall imaging.
• Focus on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT)-based techniques.

Main Results:

• Intracranial vessel wall imaging can detect changes before significant luminal stenosis.
• This offers a revolutionary approach to understanding intracranial circulation.
• Technical considerations and clinical applicability of MRI and CT-based methods are reviewed.

Conclusions:

• Intracranial arterial wall imaging holds significant potential for diagnosing and treating cerebrovascular diseases.
• These advanced imaging methods are poised to impact patient care.