Abstract

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) affects venous hemodynamics and can provoke severe stroke and chronic intracranial hypertension. We sought to comprehensively analyze 3-dimensional blood flow and hemodynamic alterations during acute CVT including collateral recruitment and at follow-up. Twenty-two consecutive patients with acute CVT were prospectively included and underwent routine brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 4-dimensional flow MRI at 3 T for the in vivo assessment of cerebral blood flow. Neurological and MRI follow-up at 6 months was performed in 18 patients. Three-dimensional blood flow visualization and quantification of large dural venous sinuses and deep cerebral veins was successfully performed in all patients. During acute CVT, we observed abnormal flow patterns including stagnant flow, flow acceleration in stenoses, and change of flow directions. In patients with complete recanalization, flow trajectories resembled those known from previously published 4-dimensional flow MRI data in healthy adults. There was a trend toward a relationship between occluded segments and cerebral lesions (not significant). Furthermore, patients with versus without cerebral lesions showed increased mean (0.08±0.09 versus 0.005±0.014 m/s) and peak velocities (0.18±0.21 versus 0.006±0.02 m/s) within partially thrombosed left and right transverse sinuses (P<0.05) at baseline. Four-dimensional flow MRI was successfully applied for the 3-dimensional visualization and quantification of venous hemodynamics in patients with CVT and provided new dynamic information regarding vessel recanalization. This technique seems promising to investigate the contribution of hemodynamic parameters and collaterals in a larger cohort to identify those at risk of stroke.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.