Magnetic resonance angiography in patients with brain infarction

This study evaluated the role of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in detecting extra- or intracranial vascular disease in 118 patients with brain infarction and the accuracy of MRA diagnosis when compared with conventional angiography in patients who had both investigations. Magnetic resonance angiography ruled out extra- and intracranial large vessel disease in 36% of the patients. MRA also demonstrated extra- or intracranial disease in 56% (probably symptomatic in 31, possibly symptomatic in 18, and asymptomatic in 17 patients), and provided no information in 8% of the 118 patients. Among the 176 major vessels visualized by both MRA and conventional angiography, conventional angiography confirmed the presence of 9/10 extracranial and 32/40 intracranial large vessel abnormalities detected on MRA. There were two false-negative findings on MRA: occlusion of a distal branch of middle cerebral artery, and an asymptomatic posterior cerebral artery stenosis. Magnetic resonance angiography is a clinically useful method for screening extra- and intracranial disease in patients with brain infarction and selecting high-yield patients for conventional angiography.