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Updated: Oct 22, 2025
Utilizing a Cranial Window to Visualize the Middle Cerebral Artery During Endothelin-1 Induced Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion
Published on: February 22, 2013
Dilated MMA sign in cDAVF and other arterial feeders on 3D TOF MRA
Sin Y Foo1, Saravana K Swaminathan2, Timo Krings3
1Diagnostic Neuroradiology Fellowship Program, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Canada.
Background:
Among the varied causes of pulsatile tinnitus, the condition that can cause severe mortality and morbidity is a cranial dural arteriovenous fistula (cDAVF). This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the dilated middle meningeal artery on three-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography in cranial dural arteriovenous fistula and to identify other feeders that can aid in the detection of these lesions.
Method:
Magnetic resonance angiography and digital subtraction angiography data of all patients with cranial dural arteriovenous fistula treated in a single tertiary referral center between 2007-2020 were included. The middle meningeal artery and other feeders recorded from digital subtraction angiography were assessed on magnetic resonance angiography.
Results:
The overall agreement between readers in identifying the dilated middle meningeal artery was substantial (κ = 0.878, 95% confidence interval: 0.775-0.982). The dilated middle meningeal artery indicated the presence of a cranial dural arteriovenous fistula with a sensitivity of 79.49% (95% confidence interval: 66.81-92.16), specificity of 100% (95% confidence interval: 100.00-100.00), and negative predictive value of 94.56% (95% confidence interval: 90.89-98.02). An area under the curve of 0.8341 was observed for the ipsilateral middle meningeal artery, with a sensitivity of 92.2% and a specificity of 75.0% at a cut-off of 0.30 mm for identifying a cranial dural arteriovenous fistula. Of 73 other feeders, the occipital, meningohypophyseal trunk, ascending pharyngeal, and posterior meningeal arteries contributed to a large proportion visualized on magnetic resonance angiography (83.6% (41/49)).
Conclusion:
The dilated middle meningeal artery sign is useful for identifying a cranial dural arteriovenous fistula. Dilatation of the occipital and ascending pharyngeal arteries and meningohypophyseal trunk should be assessed to facilitate the detection of a cranial dural arteriovenous fistula, particularly in the transverse-sigmoid and petrous regions.
