Enhancement of the intracranial arterial wall at MR imaging: relationship to cerebral atherosclerosis.

Abstract

To investigate the relationship between intracranial arterial wall enhancement and atherosclerosis. Intracranial vertebral arteries of 30 patients and carotid arteries of 62 patients were studied with spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging with contrast enhancement and spatial presaturation. Arterial wall enhancement was graded as follows: stage 1, no substantial enhancement; stage 2, faint or thin area of enhancement; stage 3, definite and thick area of enhancement. In vertebral arteries, stage 3 enhancement was seen in 11 patients (mean age, 73.7 years) and stage 1 in eight (mean age, 56.4 years). In carotid arteries, stage 3 enhancement was seen in 13 patients (mean age, 71.0 years) and stage 1 in 21 patients (mean age, 39.0 years). In both arteries, stage was well correlated with age (P < .05). Arterial wall enhancement is related to aging and is probably due to neovascularity in association with atherosclerotic plaques. This finding may permit assessment of intracranial atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases.