Comparison of Vertebral Artery Ultrasound, Magnetic Resonance Angiography and Digital Subtraction Angiography in the Diagnosis of Vertebral Artery Stenosis in Patients with Posterior Circulation Ischemia

SUMMARY: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical value of vertebral artery ultrasound (VAU), Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) and Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) on vertebral artery stenosis in patients with posterior circulation ischemia. Seventy-three patients with posterior circulation ischemia underwent vertebral artery ultrasound and magnetic resonance angiography as well as digital subtraction angiography, and the diagnosis of vertebral artery stenosis (VAS) and the degree of stenosis (normal, mild stenosis, moderate stenosis, severe stenosis, and occlusion) were recorded and compared between digital subtraction angiogram and vertebral artery ultrasound and magnetic resonance angiography. The vertebral artery stenosis rates on digital subtraction angiography and vertebral artery ultrasound were 87.30 % (55/63) and 49.20 % (31/63), respectively, and the difference was statistically significant. The rates of vertebral artery stenosis on digital subtraction angiography and, magnetic resonance angiography was 90.38 % (47/52) and 88.46 % (46/ 52), respectively, and the differences was not statistically significant. The sensitivity, accuracy, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value of vertebral artery ultrasound in diagnosing vertebral artery stenosis were 51.35 %, 54.76 %, 18.18 %, and 95.00 %, respectively, lower than those of magnetic resonance angiography, which were 91.89 %, 90.48 %, 57.14 %, and 97.14 %, respectively. Of the noninvasive imaging techniques, vertebral artery ultrasound does not accurately characterize vertebral artery stenosis and its degree of stenosis. Magnetic resonance angiography effectively screens for vertebral artery stenosis and its degree of stenosis, and can be used as a reliable tool for vertebral artery stenosis in posterior circulation cerebral infarction, and can be used in conjunction with digital subtraction angiogram in order to improve diagnostic convenience and accuracy.

El objetivo de este estudio fue comparar el valor clínico de la ecografía de la arteria vertebral (VAU), la angiografía por resonancia magnética (ARM) y la angiografía por sustracción digital (DSA) en la estenosis de la arteria vertebral en pacientes con isquemia de la circulación posterior. A 73 pacientes con isquemia de la circulación posterior se les realizó una ecografía de la arteria vertebral y una angiografía por resonancia magnética, así como una angiografía por sustracción digital, y se les diagnosticó estenosis de la arteria vertebral (EVA) y el grado de estenosis (normal, estenosis leve, estenosis moderada, estenosis grave, y oclusión) se registraron y compararon la angiografía por sustracción digital y la ecografía de la arteria vertebral y la angiografía por resonancia magnética. Las tasas de estenosis de la arteria vertebral en la angiografía por sustracción digital y la ecografía de la arteria vertebral fueron del 87,30 % (55/63) y del 49,20 % (31/63), respectivamente, y la diferencia fue estadísticamente significativa. Las tasas de estenosis de la arteria vertebral en la angiografía por sustracción digital y la angiografía por resonancia magnética fueron del 90,38 % (47/52) y del 88,46 % (46/52), respectivamente, y las diferencias no fueron estadísticamente significativas. La sensibilidad, precisión, valor predictivo negativo y valor predictivo positivo de la ecografía de la arteria vertebral en el diagnóstico de estenosis de la arteria vertebral fueron 51,35 %, 54,76 %, 18,18 % y 95,00 %, respectivamente, inferiores a los de la angiografía por resonancia magnética, que fueron 91,89 %, 90,48 %, 57,14 % y 97,14 %, respectivamente. De las técnicas de imagen no invasivas, la ecografía de la arteria vertebral no caracteriza con precisión la estenosis de la arteria vertebral y su grado de estenosis. La angiografía por resonancia magnética detecta eficazmente la estenosis de la arteria vertebral y su grado de estenosis, y puede usarse como una herramienta confiable para la estenosis de la arteria vertebral en el infarto cerebral de circulación posterior, y puede ser utilizada junto con la angiografía por sustracción digital para mejorar el diagnóstico y la exactitud.

Relationship between serum CD4+/CD8+T lymphocyte ratio combined with MRA and recurrence of cerebral infarction / 国际检验医学杂志

Objective To investigate the correlation and predictive effect of serum CD4+/CD8+T lympho-cyte ratio combined with magnetic resonance angiography(MRA)on recurrence of cerebral infarction.Meth-ods A total of 153 patients with acute cerebral infarction admitted to the Zhenjiang First People's Hospital from January 2021 to February 2022 were selected.CD4+/CD8+T lymphocyte ratio of patients was deter-mined,vascular stenosis score and collateral circulation filling score were evaluated by MRA.The patients were followed up for 1 year,including 34 patients with recurrent cerebral infarction as recurrent cerebral in-farction group,107 patients without recurrent cerebral infarction as the non-recurrent cerebral infarction group,12 patients were excluded due to other causes of loss of follow-up,and the receiver operating character-istic(ROC)curve for using the indicators to predict the recurrent cerebral infarction was drawn.Results The CD4+/CD8+T lymphocyte ratio in recurrent cerebral infarction group was significantly higher than that in non-recurrent cerebral infarction group(P<0.05).Vascular stenosis score and collateral circulation filling score in recurrent cerebral infarction group were lower than those in non-recurrent cerebral infarction group(P<0.05).The recurrence of cerebral infarction was correlated with CD4+/CD8+T lymphocyte ratio,vascu-lar stenosis score and collateral circulation filling score(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of CD4+/CD8+T lymphocyte ratio,vascular stenosis score,and collateral circulation filling score to predict recurrent cerebral infarction was 0.975,0.889,and 0.935,respectively,and the AUC of recurrent cerebral infarction was 0.994 when combined with the three factors.The AUC of cerebral infarction recurrence was significantly higher than that of each index alone.Conclusion Serum CD4+/CD8+T lympho-cyte ratio combined with MRA vascular stenosis score and collateral circulation filling score have high efficacy in the diagnosis of recurrent cerebral infarction,which have predictive value for recurrent cerebral infarction.

Comparison of image quality in carotid contrast-enhanced MR angiography based on 1.5T among different flow rates of Gadobutrol / 实用放射学杂志

Objective To compare the image quality of carotid contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography(ceMRA)under different flow rates using high relaxation rate contrast agent named Gadobutrol,and to find the best flow rate for carotid ceMRA.Methods Total of 117 patients,who were scheduled to perform carotid ceMRA examination using Gadobutrol with a dosage of 0.1 mL/kg body weight on a 1.5T MR platform,were enrolled in the study.They were divided into four groups according to four kinds of flow rates,which were 1.0 mL/s(n=29),1.5 mL/s(n=30),2.0 mL/s(n=30)and 3.0 mL/s(n=28).The signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)of bilateral carotid initiation and bilateral carotid bifurcation were calculated.The SNR of carotid initiation or carotid bifurca-tion between different flow rates were compared.And the scores of image quality among different flow rates were also compared.Results For bilateral carotid bifurcations and carotid initiations,the SNR under 1.5 mL/s were highest,which were significantly higher than those under 1.0 mL/s,while there were no significant differences between each two other flow rates.For the bilateral carotid bifurca-tions,the SNR under 1.0 mL/s were lower than those under other flow rates,and were significantly lower than those under 1.5 mL/s and 3.0 mL/s.The score of the image quality at 1.0 mL/s was significantly lower than that under other flow rates.The score of the image quality at 1.5 mL/s was the highest,but no significant difference was found compared to that at 2.0 mL/s or 3.0 mL/s.Conclusion The rate of 1.5 mL/s is recommended as the best flow rate for carotid ceMRA with Gadobutrol based on 1.5T MR.

Diagnostic value of superb microvascular imaging and CTA combined with serum sdLDL-C for hypertension patients with ACI / 中华老年心脑血管病杂志

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of superb microvascular imaging(SMI)grading,CT angiography(CTA),and serum small and dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(sdLDL-C)in elderly hypertension patients with acute cerebral infarction(ACI).Methods A ret-rospective study was conducted on 180 elderly hypertension patients admitted to our hospital from June 2021 to June 2023,and those admitted due to ACI were assigned into ACI group(95 cases)and those without into non-ACI group(85 cases).The SMI grade,CTA,and serum sdLDL-C level were compared between the two groups.ROC curve was plotted to analyze the diagnostic value of SMI grading and CTA combined with serum sdLDL-C for ACI in patients with hyperten-sion.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to analyze the factors affecting the oc-currence of ACI in the patients.Results The ACI group had significantly larger proportion of hy-perlipidemia,and higher DBP,SBP,and HDL-C,and LDL-C than the non-ACI group(P＜0.05).The proportion of SMI grade 2 and grade 3 and serum sdLDL-C level were also greatly higher[35.79％vs 10.59％,43.16％vs 8.24％,(1.62±0.25)mmol/L vs(1.35±0.19)mmol/L,P＜0.01],and the proportion of SMI grade 0 and grade 1 was lower(11.58％vs 51.76％,9.47％vs 29.41％,P＜0.01)in the ACI group than the non-ACI group.ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC value of SMI grade and CTA combined with serum sdLDL-C in diagnosing ACI in patients with hypertension was 0.934(95％CI:0.897-0.972).Multivariate logistic regression analysis in-dicated that SMI grade,CTA,and sdLDL-C were risk factors for ACI in hypertensive patients(P＜0.01).Conclusion Combination of carotid artery plaque SMI grading,CTA,and serum sdLDL-C has high auxiliary diagnostic value for elderly hypertension patients with ACI.

Influencing factors for over active bladder syndrome in patients with cerebral small vessel disease / 中华老年心脑血管病杂志

Objective To explore the influencing factors of over active bladder(OAB)in patients with cerebral small vessel disease(CSVD)and its correlation with CSVD imaging markers.Meth-ods A total of 163 elderly CSVD patients admitted in our hospital from January 2021 to Decem-ber 2022 were enrolled and divided into OAB group(37 cases)and non-OAB group(126 cases)based on the results of OAB rating scale.Mini-mental State Examination(MMSE)score,Fazekas scale score,and total CSVD burden score were recorded and compared between the two groups.Results The OAB group had older age,higher urinary frequency,larger proportions of nocturia,urgency,and urge incontinence ratio,increased Fazekas score,periventricular white matter hyper-intensity(PWMH)score and deep white matter hyperintensity(DWMH)score,and elevated total CSVD burden score and lower MMSE score than the non-OAB group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).PWMH score and DWMH score were risk factors for the occurrence of OAB(P＜0.01).The OAB score was positively correlated with Fazekas score,PWMH score,and DWMH score in the CSVD patients(r=0.533,P=0.001;r=0.462,P=0.004;r=0.398,P=0.015).The occurrence of urgency urinary incontinence was positively correlated with Fazekas score and PWMH score in the CSVD patients(r=0.352,P=0.033;r=0.346,P=0.036).Conclusion PWMH and DWMH are risk factors for OAB occurrence in CSVD patients.

Comparison of 3D-arterial spin labeling and digital subtraction angiography in the diagnosis of occlusion and collateral circulation in patients with acute ischemic stroke / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To explore the diagnostic value of 3D-arterial spin labeling (ASL) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in the occlusion and collateral circulation (CC) of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).Methods:From January 2019 to June 2020, 53 cases of AIS patients with middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion in Langfang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were selected as the research objects. All patients underwent DSA and 3D ASL examination. According to the gold standard of DSA, the diagnostic value of proximal intra-arterial signal (IAS) in 3D-ASL was observed, and the clinical value of distal IAS in the diagnosis of lateral CC was observed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify risk factors for poor outcome in AIS patients.Results:There were 31 cases with good collateral circulation judged by DSA. Taking DSA as the gold standard, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of digital IAS in diagnosing CC status were 93.55%, 81.82%, 87.88%, 90.00% and 88.68%, respectively. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of patients with good CC assessed by 3D-ASL was lower than that of patients with poor CC at admission, and the good prognosis rate at discharge was higher than that of patients with poor CC, with statistically significant difference (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in clinical data between patients with good CC and those with poor CC, such as gender, age, history of atrial fibrillation, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, drinking, onset to treatment time, treatment methods, etc (all P>0.05). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that poor CC assessed by ASL was a risk factor for poor prognosis in AIS patients ( OR=5.897, P<0.05). Conclusions:The proximal and distal IAS of 3D-ASL can provide important diagnostic clues for detecting arterial occlusion and collateral perfusion in patients with AIS, and the detection of CC by ASL is of great value for prognosis.

Clinical value of high-resolution vessel wall imaging and silent magnetic resonance angiography in re-examination after intracranial aneurysm embolization / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To explore the clinical application of time of flight-magnetic resonance angiography (TOF-MRA), silent magnetic resonance angiography (SilenZ-MRA) and high-resolution vessel wall imaging (HR-VWI) in non-invasive evaluation of intracranial aneurysm after embolization.Methods:From February 2021 to February 2022, 39 patients, including 8 males and 31 females, who were 29-86 (54.50±11.80) years old and had received intracranial aneurysm embolization were collected in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the image quality score and the evaluation results of lumen stenosis rate in the stent segments by TOF-MRA, SilenZ-MRA and HR-VWI. The diagnostic value of TOF-MRA, SilenZ-MRA and HR-VWI was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve with DSA as the reference standard.Results:The image quality scores of TOF-MRA, SilenZ-MRA and HR-VWI were 2(1, 3), 4(3, 4) and 4(4, 4), respectively, with statistically significant difference ( H=80.78, P<0.05). The pairwise comparison results were as follows: TOF-MRA vs SilenZ-MRA, P<0.017; TOF-MRA vs HR-VWI, P<0.017; SilenZ-MRA vs HR-VWI, P>0.017. The lumen stenosis rates of stent segments measured by TOF-MRA, SilenZ-MRA, HR-VWI and DSA were 45.00% (29.60%, 61.05%), 17.60% (10.80%, 26.80%), 13.35% (8.90%, 15.95%) and 7.95% (4.80%, 11.25%), respectively, with statistically significant difference ( H=67.96, P<0.05). The results of comparison between TOF-MRA, SilenZ-MRA, HR-VWI and DSA were respectively as follows: TOF-MRA vs DSA, P<0.017; SilenZ-MRA vs DSA, P<0.017; HR-VWI vs DSA, P>0.017. DSA review showed that 12 (27.91%,12/43) aneurysms were not completely embolized, and 31 (72.09%, 31/43) aneurysms were completely embolized. The area under the curve of TOF-MRA, SilenZ-MRA and HR-VWI for evaluating the postoperative complete embolization of aneurysm was 0.75, 1.00 and 0.94, respectively, with statistically significant differences between TOF-MRA and HR-VWI ( Z=2.53, P<0.05) as well as between TOF-MRA and SilenZ-MRA ( Z=3.32, P<0.05). Conclusions:HR-VWI can clearly display the stent-segment lumen of the parent artery, and evaluate the stent-segment arterial wall and whether the stent-segment lumen is unobstructed or not. SilenZ-MRA is significantly superior to TOF-MRA in the evaluation of postoperative embolization status of aneurysms, and slightly superior to HR-VWI in tumor neck display. Combined application of HR-VWI and SilenZ-MRA has certain clinical significance for non-invasive evaluation of intracranial aneurysm after embolization.

Research on segmentation method of brain vessel based on deep learning / 医疗卫生装备

Objective To propose a deep learning-based cerebrovascular segmentation method to solve the problems of magnetic resonance angiography(MRA)image auto segmentation due to some tiny or overlapped vessels.Methods Generative adversarial networks(GAN)consisting of multiple generators and discriminators were used to construct a brain vessel segmen-tation model(BVSM).Firstly,the feature fusion and attention mechanism modules were introduced into the generator network to segment and extract the patient's MRA images;secondly,the discriminator network judged the gap between the brain vessel segmentation results respectively by the generator network and the expert's manual operation,so as to optimize the generator network continuously to obtain realistic segmentation images;finally,the MIDAS dataset was used to design ablation experi-ments to compare the cerebrovascular segmentation results of BVSM with the original model(RVGAN retinal vascular gene-rative adversarial network model),the RVGAN+Attention model incorporated with the attention module and the RVGAN+slice-level feature aggregation(SFA)model with the SFA module in terms of Dice coefficient,accuracy,sensitivity and AUC.Results The BVSM behaved better than the RVGAN,RVGAN+Attention and RVGAN+SFA models with Dice coefficient being 87.2％,accuracy being 88.3％,sensitivity being 86.3％and AUC being 0.942.Conclusion The method proposed facilitates the observation of cerebrovascular structure with high accuracy,and provides an auxiliary means for diagnosing cerebrovascular diseases.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2023,44(9):1-7]

Research Progress of 7.0T Ultra-High Field MRI in Evaluating the Relationship Between Lenticulostriate Arterys Lesions and Stroke Related Diseases / 中国医学影像学杂志

The lenticulostriate arterys(LSAs)is an important intracranial perforating artery,which is located in the basal ganglia region and the deep nucleus.LSAs lesions will lead to microcirculation disorders in the corresponding blood supply area,which is an important risk factor for stroke.Early effective detection of LSAs lesions to clarify the classification and etiology of stroke,and effective prediction of adverse events has become an urgent problem to be solved.At present,due to the extremely slender diameter and tortuous course of LSAs,the equipment and technology in clinical have not achieved a clear and comprehensive display of the LSAs.With the development of 7.0T ultra-high field MRI,it has become the best method for non-invasive diagnosis of LSAs.This paper aims to summarize the research progress of LSAs and stroke related diseases by 7.0T ultra-high field MRI.

Braided stent-assisted coil embolization versus laser engraved stent-assisted coil embolization in patients with unruptured complex intracranial aneurysms

Abstract Purposes: Braided and laser-cut stents both are efficacious and safe for coiling intracranial aneurysms. The study aimed to compare outcomes following braided stent-assisted coil embolization versus laser engraved stent-assisted coil embolization in 266 patients who were diagnosed with unruptured intracranial aneurysms of different types and locations. Methods: Patients with unruptured complex intracranial aneurysms underwent braided (BSE cohort, n = 125) or laser engraved (LSE cohort, n = 141) stent-assisted embolization. Results: The deployment success rate was higher for patients of the LSE cohort than those of the BSE cohort (140 [99%] vs. 117 [94%], p = 0.0142). Seventy-one (fifty-seven percentages) and 73 (52%) were coil embolization procedure success rates of the BSE and the LSE cohorts. Periprocedural intracranial hemorrhage was higher in patients of the BSE cohort than those of the LSE cohort (8 [6%] vs. 1 [1%], p = 0.0142). Four (three percentages) patients from the LSE cohort and 3 (2%) patients from the BSE cohort had in-stent thrombosis during embolization. Permanent morbidities were higher in patients of the LSE cohort than those of the BSE cohort (8 [6%] vs. 1 [1%], p = 0.0389). Higher successful procedures (76% vs. 68%) and fewer postprocedural intracranial hemorrhage (0% vs. 5%) and mortality (0% vs. 5%) were reported for patients of the BSE cohort in posterior circulation aneurysmal location than those of the LSE cohort. Laser engraved stent has fewer problems with deployment and may have better periprocedural and follow-up outcomes after embolization. Conclusions: Braided stent-assisted embolization should be preferred when the aneurysm is present in the posterior circulation.

The role of neuroimaging in the determination of brain death / O papel da neuroimagem na determinação da morte encefálica

Abstract Brain death is the irreversible cessation of all brain function. Although protocols for its determination vary among countries, the concept of brain death is widely accepted, despite ethical and religious issues. The pathophysiology of brain death is related to hypoxia and ischemia in the setting of extensive brain injury. It is also related to the effects of brain edema, which increases intracranial pressure, leading to cerebral circulatory arrest. Although the diagnosis of brain death is based on clinical parameters, the use of neuroimaging to demonstrate diffuse brain injury as the cause of coma prior to definitive clinical examination is a prerequisite. Brain computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrate diffuse edema, as well as ventricular and sulcal effacement, together with brain herniation. Angiography (by CT or MRI) demonstrates the absence of intracranial arterial and venous flow. In some countries, electroencephalography, cerebral digital subtraction angiography, transcranial Doppler ultrasound, or scintigraphy/single-photon emission CT are currently used for the definitive diagnosis of brain death. Although the definition of brain death relies on clinical features, radiologists could play an important role in the early recognition of global hypoxic-ischemic injury and the absence of cerebral vascular perfusion.

Resumo A morte encefálica é a cessação irreversível de todas as funções cerebrais. Embora os protocolos para sua determinação variem entre os países, o conceito de morte encefálica é amplamente aceito, apesar de questões éticas e religiosas. A fisiopatologia da morte encefálica está relacionada a hipóxia e isquemia no cenário de uma lesão cerebral difusa. Também está relacionada aos efeitos do edema cerebral, que aumenta a pressão intracraniana, levando à parada da circulação cerebral. Embora o diagnóstico de morte encefálica seja baseado em parâmetros clínicos, o uso de neuroimagem para demonstrar lesão cerebral difusa como causa do coma antes do exame clínico definitivo é um pré-requisito. A tomografia computadorizada (TC) e a ressonância magnética (RM) de crânio demonstram edema difuso e apagamento de ventrículos e sulcos, associados a herniações transcompartimentais. A angio-TC e a angio-RM demonstram a ausência de fluxo arterial e venoso intracraniano. Em alguns países, a eletroencefalografia, a angiografia por subtração digital cerebral, a ultrassonografia transcraniana com Doppler ou a cintilografia/TC por emissão de fóton único são atualmente usadas para o diagnóstico definitivo de morte encefálica. Embora a definição de morte encefálica dependa de características clínicas, os radiologistas podem desempenhar papel importante no reconhecimento precoce da lesão hipóxico-isquêmica global e da ausência de perfusão vascular cerebral.

Changes of FLAIR hyperintense vascular signs in patients with middle cerebral artery chronic occlusion and the predictive value of cerebral infarction / 中风与神经疾病杂志

@#Objective　To investigate the effect of fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) on hyperintense vascular sign in patients with unilateral middle cerebral artery chronic occlusion.Changes of HVS and prediction of cerebral infarction were also analyzed.Methods　Patients with unilateral middle cerebral artery chronic occlusion who were hospitalized in Jiangdu People’s Neurology Department of Yangzhou City from July 2016 to August 2021 were enrolled.According to the presence or absence of cerebral infarction,they were divided into non-cerebral infarction group and cerebral infarction group.According to whether the cerebral infarction recurred during the follow-up,the cerebral infarction group was divided into recurrence group and non-recurrence group.Multivariate logistic regression model and ROC curve were used to analyze the risk and predictive value of FVHs and cerebral infarction in patients with unilateral middle cerebral artery chronic occlusion.Results　(1)Univariate analysis showed that the fibrinogen level,HVS signs and FVHs score in cerebral infarction group were significantly higher than those in non-cerebral infarction group (P<0.05).The baseline FVHs score of recurrent cerebral infarction patients were significantly higher than that of non-recurrent cerebral infarction patients (P<0.05).(2)Logistic regression analysis showed that FVHs score had a significant independent positive correlation with the first occurrence of cerebral infarction (OR=2.499; 95%CI 1.481~4.218;P=0.001),and FVHs score was not independently associated with cerebral infarction recurrence (OR=1.356;95%CI 0.922~1.994;P=0.112);(3)ROC curve analysis showed that FVHs score ≥4 had certain predictive value for cerebral infarction in patients with unilateral middle cerebral artery chronic occlusion,with sensitivity of 73.3%,specificity of 66.2%,area under curve (AUC) of 0.669 (95%CI 0.476~0.861;P=0.041).Conclusion　For patients with unilateral middle cerebral artery chronic occlusion,HVS may change in a process from scratch,and once the occurrence of HVS signs suggests that cerebral blood flow is decompensated,which is prone to cerebral infarction.FHVs score has certain predictive value for cerebral infarction.

Anomalía coronaria sospechada por el signo "RAC" en resonancia magnética cardíaca / Anomalous coronary artery suspected by cardiac magnetic resonance "RAC" sign

Abstract A 63 year-old-male was admitted with a non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome. Due to poor acoustic windows ventricular function could not be evaluated by echocardiography. Magnetic resonance (CMR) revealed normal biventricular size and function without fibro- sis and portraying a rare finding consisting of a tubular structure originated in the aortic root following a retro aortic course between the aorta and left atrium, traversing through the atrioventricular groove. These characteristics raised the suspicion of an anomalous coronary artery origin. Coronary angiography confirmed the presence of two coronary arteries, the right coronary artery (RCA) and the left circumflex artery (LCx) originating from the right coronary sinus via two separate ostia. The LCx followed a retro aortic course proximally be- fore irrigating the left ventricular lateral wall. From the left coronary sinus, the left anterior descending artery followed its normal course with a thin diagonal vessel that presented an acute plaque. Due to these low-risk findings, medical management was chosen.

Analysis of clinical characteristics of three patients with dural arteriovenous fistula manifesting as bithalamic lesions / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To analyze the clinical presentation, potential pathogenesis, diagnosis, management and prognosis of dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) manifesting as bithalamic lesions.Methods:The clinical data of three patients with DAVF manifesting as bithalamic lesions from the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University between August 2019 and August 2020 were analyzed retrospectively, and related literatures were reviewed.Results:Patient 1, a 56-year-old female, presented with a one-month aggressive clinical course of weakness, somnolence, nausea, vomiting, urine incontinence and sitting instability. Patient 2, a 53-year-old male, presented with a one-month aggressive clinical course of disturbance of consciousness, walking with difficulty and decreased higher cortex function. Patient 3, a 68-year-old male, presented with an eight-day aggressive clinical course of memory loss, disturbance of consciousness and mental symptoms. In these three patients, cranial computed tomography (CT) scans showed bilateral hypodensity shadow in thalamus while magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated bithalamic edema. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) or computed tomography angiography (CTA) presented venous or venous sinus closely related with arteries. Digital substraction angiography (DSA) of the patient 1 demonstrated bilateral occipital artery-straight sinus DAVF treated with surgical excision. Four months later, the patient was consciousness with modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of 5. DSA of the patient 2 demonstrated DAVF supplied by the right external carotid artery and the symptoms were relieved after endovascular embolization. One year after operation, there was no recurrence and mRS score was 2. DSA of the patient 3 demonstrated occipital sinusional area DAVF treated with surgical excision. More than one year after surgery, the patient was conscious with mRS score of 5.Conclusions:DAVF-induced bithalamic lesions is a rare disorder in which clinical presentations are not specific.When cranial CT or MRI demonstrating bithalamic lesions, MRA or CTA showing venous or venous sinus closely related with arteries or presenting with disturbance of consciousness or cognitive decline, DAVF should be considered. DSA is the gold standard for diagnosis of DAVF. Endovascular embolization and surgical excision are the main treatments of DAVF.

Risk factors and early neurological deterioration in proximal single subcortical infarction: comparison with distal single subcortical infarction / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective:To investigate the risk factors for different types of single subcortical infarction (SSI) in middle cerebral artery territory and the risk factors for early neurologic deterioration (END).Methods:Patients with SSI in middle cerebral artery territory admitted to the Department of Neurology, People's Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University from January 2020 to April 2021 were enrolled retrospectively. According to the distribution of infarction, the patients were divided into proximal SSI (pSSI) and distal SSI (dSSI). The demographics, vascular risk factors and baseline clinical data were collected. END was defined as new signs and/or symptoms of neurological deficit or aggravation of any neurological deficit within 2 weeks after onset. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent risk factors for pSSI and END. Results:Seventy-six patients with acute SSI in the middle cerebral artery territory were included, 41 patients (53.9%) in the pSSI group, 35 (46.1%) in the dSSI group; 13 (17.1%) in the END group, and 63 (82.9%) in the non-END group. There were no significant differences in age, gender, vascular risk factors and baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score between the pSSI group and the dSSI group. The total cholesterol, fasting blood glucose levels and the ratio of pSSI in the END group were significantly higher than those in the non-END group ( P<0.05), while the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was significantly lower than that of the non-END group ( P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that pSSI was an independent risk factor for the occurrence of END in patients with SSI (odds ratio 6.75, 95% confidence interval 1.26-36.23; P=0.026). Conclusion:There was no significant difference in risk factors between pSSI and dSSI, but patients with pSSI were more prone to END.

Correlation of fluid-attenuation inversion recovery vascular hyperintensity and clinical outcome in patients with middle cerebral artery M1 occlusive stroke / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective:To investigate the correlation of fluid-attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR) vascular hyperintensity (FVH) and clinical outcome in patients with middle cerebral artery M1 occlusive stroke.Methods:Patients with acute middle cerebral artery M1 occlusive stroke admitted to the Department of Neurology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from June 2018 to September 2019 were enrolled retrospectively. The demographic and clinical data were collected. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)-Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) and FVH score were performed with MRI images. The modified Rankin Scale (MRS) was used to evaluate the clinical outcome at 90 d after onset. 0-2 was defined as good outcome, and >2 was defined as poor outcome. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent correlation between FVH and the outcome. Results:A total of 65 patients with acute middle cerebral artery M1 occlusive stroke were enrolled, including 37 males (56.9%). Their age was 64.35±12.13 years. Twenty-nine patients (44.6%) had a good outcome, and 36 (55.4%) had a poor outcome. There were significant differences in triglyceride ( P=0.037), antihypertensive drug treatment ( P=0.037), baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ( P<0.001), DWI-ASPECTS ( P=0.017) and FVH score ( P<0.001) between the poor outcome group and the good outcome group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that FVH score (odds ratio 6.477, 95% confidence interval 1.570-26.716; P=0.010) and NIHSS score (odds ratio 1.869, 95% confidence interval 1.326-2.635; P<0.001) were significantly independently correlated with the poor outcome. However, there was no significant independent correlation between DWI-ASPECTS and the outcome (odds ratio 0.451, 95% confidence interval 0.068-2.988; P=0.410). Conclusions:FVH score is an independent risk factor for poor outcome in patients with acute middle cerebral artery M1 occlusive stroke.

High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging vascular wall characteristics and risk of ischemic stroke in patients with middle cerebral artery atherosclerotic stenosis / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective:To investigate the correlation between the high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) vessel wall characteristics and risk of ischemic stroke in patients with middle cerebral artery (MCA) atherosclerotic stenosis.Methods:Patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease treated in the Department of Neurology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University from January 2016 to January 2020 were enrolled prospectively. The patients presented with transient ischemic attack or acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Magnetic resonance angiography showed that the ipsilateral MCA had stenosis of 50%-99%, and it was identified as the responsible lesion. Routine MRI and the vessel wall imaging at the narrowest part of MCA were performed. The characteristics of vessels and plaques at MCA stenosis were compared between the AIS group and the non-AIS group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent risk factors for AIS. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the predictive value of vessel wall characteristics for AIS. Results:A total of 65 patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease and MCA stenosis were enrolled. The age of patients was 68±14 years, 50 were males (76.9%). There were 30 patients (46.2%) in the AIS group and 35 (53.8%) in the non-AIS group. There were no significant differences in demographic data, vascular risk factors and routine laboratory tests between the two groups. Compared with the non-AIS group, the narrowest lumen area in the AIS group (2.36±1.09 mm 2vs. 2.96±1.01 mm 2; t=2.274, P=0.027) was smaller, the plaque area (4.46 ±2.08 mm 2vs. 2.62±1.32 mm 2; t=4.315, P<0.001) was larger, the remodeling index (1.08±0.11 vs. 0.94±0.10; t=5.573, P<0.001) was higher, and the proportion of obvious enhanced plaque (63.3% vs. 11.4%; χ2=19.034, P<0.001) and positive remodeling plaque (80.0% vs. 20.0%; χ2=23.311, P<0.001) were higher. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that plaque area (odds ratio [ OR] 2.01, 95% confidence interval[ CI] 1.35-2.98; P=0.001), remodeling pattern ( OR 16.00, 95% CI 4.73-54.15; P=0.001), the narrowest lumen area ( OR 0.568, 95% CI 0.34-0.96; P=0.033) and degree of enhancement ( OR 21.85, 95% CI 5.13-93.00; P<0.001) were the independent risk factors for AIS. ROC curve analysis showed that the combination of plaque area, the narrowest lumen area and the degree of enhancement had the best prediction effect (area under the curve 0.927, 95% CI 0.84-0.96). Conclusion:AIS is more likely to occur when the plaque area at the narrowest part of the MCA is larger, the lumen area is smaller, and there is obvious plaque enhancement.

Clinical significance of FLAIR vascular hyperintensities in patients with chronic atherosclerotic middle cerebral artery occlusion / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical significance of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) vascular hyperintensities (FVHs) in patients with chronic atherosclerotic middle cerebral artery occlusion.Methods:From July 2016 to November 2020, patients admitted to the Department of Neurology, Jiangdu People's Hospital of Yangzhou and first found chronic atherosclerotic middle cerebral artery occlusion were enrolled. The demographic, clinical and MRI imaging data were collected. According to the presence or absence of acute cerebral infarction, they were divided into the non-acute cerebral infarction group and the acute cerebral infarction group. According to the modified Rankin Scale score at 3 months after the onset, patients with acute cerebral infarction were further divided into the good outcome group (≤2) and the poor outcome group (>2). A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the independent correlation between FVHs and the risk of cerebral infarction in patients with chronic atherosclerotic middle cerebral artery occlusion and the outcome in patients with cerebral infarction. Results:A total of 94 patients with chronic atherosclerotic middle cerebral artery occlusion were enrolled, including 38 with non-acute cerebral infarction (40.4%) and 56 with acute cerebral infarction (59.6%). In patients with acute cerebral infarction, 13 (23.2%) had a poor outcome, and 43 (76.8%) had a good outcome. The fibrinogen level, the proportion of patients with FVHs and the FVHs score in the cerebral infarction group were significantly higher than those in the non-cerebral infarction group (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the FVHs score was significantly, independently, and positively correlated with the risk of acute cerebral infarction (odds ratio 2.524, 95% confidence interval 1.400-4.552; P=0.002). The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at admission, the modified Rankin Scale score at admission, and FVHs score in the poor outcome group were significantly higher than those in the good outcome group (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that there was a significant independent negative correlation between the FVHs score and the outcome of patients with cerebral infarction (odds ratio 0.144, 95% confidence interval 0.045-0.459; P=0.001). Conclusions:FVHs suggest that the blood supply is in a state of decompensation. When FVHs are present, the risk of cerebral infarction in patients with chronic middle cerebral artery occlusion is significantly increased; the wider the range of FVHs, the higher the risk of poor outcome after cerebral infarction.

Elastase injection into the cerebellomedullary cistern to induce a model of vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia in mice and evaluation of magnetic resonance angiography / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in evaluating the mouse model of vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia (VBD) induced by injection of elastase into cerebellomedullary cistern.Methods:Twenty-four male C57/BL6 mice were selected. The mice in the elastase group ( n=12) were injected in the cerebellomedullary cistern with 2.5 μl of phosphate buffer containing 25 mU elastase, and the mice in the saline control group ( n=12) were injected with the same volume of normal saline. MRA examination of the brains of living mice was performed 2 weeks after modeling. Successful modeling was defined as the basilar artery bending angle ≤170°, or the basilar artery bending length accounts for ≥10%, or the basilar artery deviated from the midline by more than 1 grade, or the percentage increase in artery diameter was ≥25%. Results:In the elastase group and the saline control group, 2 mice and 1 mouse did not wake up normally or died, respectively. The 11 surviving mice in the saline control group had no obvious vertebral artery and basilar artery abnormalities. The success rate of modeling in the 10 surviving mice in the elastase group was 80%, and the difference in the success rate between the two groups was statistically significant ( P<0.05). There were significant differences in mean basilar artery diameter (0.30 mm vs. 0.22 mm; P<0.05), mean basilar artery bending angle (115° vs. 170°; P<0.05), and proportion of mean basilar artery bending length (31% vs. 5%; P<0.05) of the surviving mice between the elastase group and the saline control group. Conclusion:MRA can better evaluate the mouse VBD model induced by elastase injection in the cerebellomedullary cistern.

Clinical Value of 1.5-T Non-contrast Whole-heart Magnetic Resonance Coronary Angiography in Evaluating the Severity of Coronary Stenosis / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic performance of 1.5-T non-contrast free-breathing whole-heart magnetic resonance coronary angiography(MRCA)for≥50% and≥70% coronary artery stenosis in coronary artery disease(CAD).Methods Forty-one patients clinically scheduled for invasive coronary angiography(ICA)underwent 1.5-T non-contrast free-breathing whole-heart MRCA.The diagnostic performance for≥50% and≥70% stenosis was evaluated and compared using ICA as a reference standard.Results MRCA was completed in all the 41 patients with the total acquisition time of(10.1 ± 2.2)min.The sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of MRCA for≥50% and≥70% stenosis were 100%(95%