Evaluation of the Arterial Wall in Vertebrobasilar Artery Dissection Using High-Resolution Magnetic Resonance Vessel Wall Imaging

Abstract

High-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging (HRMR-VWI) has been used to explore vascular diseases such as vasculitis and vulnerable plaque of intracranial arteries. Although vessel wall inflammation is suspected as one of the causes of cerebral arterial dissection, there have been few reports regarding the application of HRMR-VWI to arterial dissection. We have therefore evaluated the efficacy of HRMR-VWI in patients with vertebrobasilar artery dissection. HRMR-VWI was performed on 5 patients who had been diagnosed with nonhemorrhagic vertebrobasilar artery dissection. Four patients exhibited vessel wall enhancement on HRMR-VWI, the range of which corresponded with the dissection sites identified by cerebral angiogram, magnetic resonance imaging, or magnetic resonance angiography. The enhancements observed in all cases were extensive as compared with the findings of conventional angiography. HRMR-VWI is thought to elucidate the condition of the affected vessel wall more in detail as compared with conventional methods.