Diagnosis of moyamoya disease with magnetic resonance angiography.

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Abstract
Present criteria for the diagnosis of moyamoya disease emphasize the use of conventional cerebral angiography as an indispensable requirement. However, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is fast becoming a reliable diagnostic modality for occlusive cerebrovascular diseases. The purpose of this study is to assess the accuracy of MRA compared with conventional angiography.Thirty-nine patients (23 children and 16 adults) with moyamoya disease confirmed by conventional angiography (78 side views) were examined with MRA (three-dimensional time-of-flight technique with a 256 x 256 or 256 x 512 matrix). T1- and T2-weighted MR images were also taken.The stenotic or occlusive change at the carotid fork was clearly revealed by MRA, which correlated well with conventional angiography (83% good correlation, 17% overestimation). Apparent moyamoya vessels were clearly shown as a signal void on the MR image and fine unusual vessels on MRA, particularly in children with moyamoya disease (82%). However, small moyamoya v...