[Dynamic MRA in the evaluation of intracranial vascular diseases]

Abstract

Conventional catheter angiography (CCA) remains the gold standard for the evaluation of most intracranial vascular malformations. MRA techniques such as Time of Flight, Phase Contrast or 3D contrast-enhanced MRA, provide anatomic evaluation but without hemodynamic information. Recently developed, dynamic MRA is based on dynamic acquisition of images and image subtraction; these two principal characteristics produce images comparable to those obtained by CCA. The purpose of this review is to explain the principles, advantages and drawbacks of this technique in the evaluation of arteriovenous malformations, arteriovenous fistulas, aneurysms and venous thrombosis.