Schwartz RB, Tice HM, Hooten SM, Hsu L, Stieg PE
Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
Title
Evaluation of cerebral aneurysms with helical CT: correlation with conventional angiography and MR angiography.
Source
Radiology 1994 Sep;192(3):717-722
Abstract
PURPOSE: To evaluate detection of intracranial aneurysms with helical computed
tomography (CT) and compare the results with those of conventional angiography
and magnetic resonance (MR) angiography. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Twenty-one patients with 30 intracranial aneurysms were studied with helical CT
and conventional angiography; 17 of the patients (24 aneurysms) also underwent
MR angiography. RESULTS: All aneurysms 3 mm or larger in greatest dimension
were seen with helical CT and MR angiography; no aneurysms smaller than 3 mm
were apparent with either modality. Of the 21 aneurysms demonstrated with both
helical CT and MR angiography, 11 were seen equally well with both techniques;
six were seen better with helical CT owing to flow-related or motion artifact at MR
angiography, and four were seen better with MR angiography because calcium
partially obscured them at helical CT. CONCLUSION: Helical CT is a promising
noninvasive method of imaging the intracranial vasculature and is comparable
with standard MR angiographic techniques in demonstrating aneurysms.