Intracranial vascular malformations: MR and CT imaging.

Area of Science:

• Neuroradiology
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Neurology

Background:

• Cerebrovascular malformations (CVMs) present diagnostic challenges.
• Accurate imaging is crucial for CVM characterization and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the diagnostic capabilities of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and computed tomography (CT) in evaluating cerebrovascular malformations.
• To assess the sensitivity and specificity of MR and CT in detecting various types of CVMs.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of MR imaging characteristics of 29 CVMs in 24 patients.
• Comparative analysis of MR and CT imaging findings against angiography.
• Evaluation of lesion detection, calcification, clot, and hemorrhage identification.

Main Results:

• Both MR and CT detected most angiographically evident intra-axial CVMs, with one dural malformation missed by both.
• MR imaging showed findings mirroring CT for parenchymal lesions, with better clot visualization.
• CT was more sensitive for calcified lesions, while MR detected subtle hemorrhages missed by CT, aiding in hematoma diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• MR imaging offers a characteristic appearance for evident CVMs and excels in detecting hemorrhagic foci associated with cryptic arteriovenous malformations.
• CT remains more sensitive for detecting small calcified malformations.
• Combined MR and CT imaging provides comprehensive evaluation of cerebrovascular malformations.