Authors: Andrea Bink Joachim Berkefeld Marlies Wagner SeJong You Hanns Ackermann Matthias W Lorenz Christian Senft Richard du Mesnil de Rochemont
Publish Date: 2011/09/21
Volume: 22, Issue: 2, Pages: 429-438
Abstract
DSA is currently the criterion standard for the assessment of dural arteriovenous fistulas dAVF Recently evolving MRA techniques have emerged as a noninvasive alternative The aim of this study is to assess the value of 3 T MRI in detecting and describing dAVF and to determine whether MRI can replace DSA as diagnostic procedureA total of 19 patients with dAVF and 19 without dAVF underwent the same MRI protocol including 3D timeofflight MRA and timeresolved contrastenhanced MRA The images were evaluated retrospectively by three independent readers with different levels of experience blinded to clinical information The readers assessed the presence the site the venous drainage and the feeders of dAVF Sensitivity specificity accuracy intertechnique and interobserver agreements were calculatedDAVF can be detected with high sensitivity specificity and accuracy by experienced and also by less experienced readers However MRI has limitations when used for grading and evaluation of the angioarchitecture of the dAVF Different experience the limited resolution of MRI and its inability to selectively display arteries were the reasons for these limitations
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