Mehrvolumen-MR-Angiographie der A. carotis interna: Eine präoperative Vergleichsstudie

Abstract

With the introduction of MR angiography (MRA) into clinical routine, arteriosclerotic lesions of the supraaortic vessels may be well demonstrated. The comparison between Multislab MRA (gradient echo, TOF) and X-ray angiography (XRA) as reference in 70 patients suspicious of stenotic lesions in the internal carotid artery proved the high reliability of these methods. In determining the degree of stenosis, according to the NASCET study (North American Symptomatic Endarterectomy Trial), a correlation between MRA and XRA of 92.3% could be calculated. The principal problem of MRA is the overestimation of high-grade stenoses; we observed 5 false-positive results in severe stenosis. Sensitivity and specificity were 95.6 and 92.6%, respectively, for detection of severe (> 60%) stenosis. Despite its limitations, MRA is a clinically important noninvasive technique for preoperative evaluation of patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy.