COMPARISON OF 3-DIMENSIONAL PHASE-CONTRAST MAGNETIC-RESONANCE ANGIOGRAPHY WITH 3-DIMENSIONAL TIME-OF-FLIGHT MAGNETIC-RESONANCE ANGIOGRAPHY IN CEREBRAL ANEURYSMS

Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) can be divided into two types: namely, the phase-contrast (PC) method and the time-of-flight (TOF) method. The purpose of this study is to determine which method is better suited to demonstrate cerebral aneurysms. In a total of 27 cerebral aneurysms confirmed by cerebral angiography, both three-dimensional (3-D) PC and 3-D TOF methods were performed, and the corresponding findings were compared with conventional cerebral angiographic findings. Aneurysm visualization was grouped into three categories: ''good'' when clearly distinguishable, ''fair'' if distinguishable when reconstructed, and ''poor'' if completely undistinguishable. All MRAs were independently interpreted by two neurosurgeons in our institute. Sensitivity was 92.6% when MRA was performed with the TOF method, whereas it was 70.4% when performed with the PC method. In conclusion, the TOF method was more useful for demonstrating the aneurysms than the PC method due to its higher spatial resolution and shorter imaging time.