Advances in imaging studies of primary angiitis of the central nervous system / 中华神经科杂志

ABSTRACT

Primary angiitis of the central nervous system (PACNS) is a rare inflammatory disease of the central nervous system with unknown etiology affecting the brain and spinal cord. As the incidence of PACNS is low, the clinical manifestations are diverse, the cerebrospinal fluid examination lacks specificity, its diagnosis mainly depends on the "gold standard" pathological biopsy. However, due to the subjectivity of the sampling site, tissue staining and microscopic reading, some patients may be misdiagnosed. In addition, the potentially aggressive course of PACNS may reduce disability and mortality through appropriate immunosuppressive therapy, so the early diagnosis of PACNS is conducive to the prognosis of patients. Imaging examination is convenient, non-invasive, and can provide important information for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of PACNS from various aspects. Therefore, it is very important to explore the imaging features of the disease. This paper reviews the current research status of imaging examination in PACNS and summarizes the different types of imaging findings in PACNS.