Moyamoya disease: diagnostic accuracy of MRI

Our purpose was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of MRI in moyamoya disease. We studied 30 patients with this disease, comparing MRI and angiographic findings. The diagnostic value of MRI was evaluated for occlusive lesions, collateral vessels, and parenchymal lesions. In all patients bilateral occlusion or stenosis of the supraclinoid internal carotid artery and proximal anterior and middle cerebral arteries was clearly shown by MRI, and staging of the extent of occlusion agreed with angiographic staging in 44 (73%) of 60 arteries. MRI, particularly coronal images, clearly showed basal cerebral moyamoya vessels in 54 hemispheres, and 45 of a total of 71 large leptomeningeal and transdural collateral vessels were identified. MRI also showed parenchymal lesions in 48 (80%) hemispheres, and the extent of occlusion in the anterior and posterior circulations respectively correlated with white matter and cortical and/or subcortical infarcts.