Catheter cerebral angiography and MR angiography
visualize blood flow in the arteries. In
moyamoya disease, major cerebral arteries
become stenotic and then blood flow within
them reduces. It is rare to visualize the
arteries themselves (arterial structures).
Brain is surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid.
CISS imaging does not visualize blood flow
but the arterial structures such as cerebral
arteries running within the cerebrospinal
fluid and moyamoya vessels in the base of
the brain. CISS imaging can provide high
resolution structural information. Clinically,
MR angiography is more useful than CISS imaging,
but the latter helps to understand the clinical
status because it shows the changes of the
arterial structures, not blood flow itself.
MR angiography usually overestimates the
steno-occlusive changes of the cerebral arteries
and underestimate moyamoya vessels. CISS
imaging can supplement the defects of MR
angiography in the clinical setting.
Reference
1. Komiyama M, Ishiguro T, Nishikawa M, et
al: Constructive interference in steady state
imaging of moyamoya disease. Neurol Med Chir
(Tokyo) 42:11-17, 2002 [Abstract]
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