Volume 31, Issue 3 pp. 428-445
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Conventional and advanced MRI evaluation of brain vascular malformations

Teodoro Martín-Noguerol

Corresponding Author

Teodoro Martín-Noguerol

MRI Unit, Radiology Department, HT Medica, Jaén, Spain

Correspondence

Teodoro Martín-Noguerol, MD, MRI Section, Radiology Department, HT Medica, Carmelo Torres 2, 23007 Jaén, Spain.

Email: [email protected]

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Luis Concepción-Aramendia

Luis Concepción-Aramendia

Servicio de Radiología, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Alicante, Spain

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CC Tchoyoson Lim

CC Tchoyoson Lim

Neuroradiology Department, National Neuroscience Institute and Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore

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Eloísa Santos-Armentia

Eloísa Santos-Armentia

Department of Radiology, Povisa Hospital (Ribera Salud Group), Vigo, Spain

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Alberto Cabrera-Zubizarreta

Alberto Cabrera-Zubizarreta

OSATEK, MR Unit, Hospital of Galdakao, Bilbao, Spain

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Antonio Luna

Antonio Luna

MRI Unit, Radiology Department, HT Medica, Jaén, Spain

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First published: 15 April 2021
Citations: 4

Acknowledgments and Disclosure: Special thanks to Javier Royuela-del-Val, PhD, and Felix Paulano-Godino, PhD, for their valuable help with the imaging processing of Figures 16 and 17, respectively.

CC Tchoyoson Lim is part of the speakers bureau General Electric Medical Systems. Antonio Luna is occasional lecturer of Philips, Siemens Healthineers, Bracco and Canon, and receives royalties as book editor from Springer-Verlag.

No funding sources have supported this work.

Abstract

Vascular malformations (VMs) of the central nervous system (CNS) include a wide range of pathological conditions related to intra and extracranial vessel abnormalities. Although some VMs show typical neuroimaging features, other VMs share and overlap pathological and neuroimaging features that hinder an accurate differentiation between them. Hence, it is not uncommon to misclassify different types of VMs under the general heading of arteriovenous malformations. Thorough knowledge of the imaging findings of each type of VM is mandatory to avoid these inaccuracies. Conventional MRI sequences, including MR angiography, have allowed the evaluation of CNS VMs without using ionizing radiation. Newer MRI techniques, such as susceptibility-weighted imaging, black blood sequences, arterial spin labeling, and 4D flow imaging, have an added value of providing physiopathological data in real time regarding the hemodynamics of VMs. Beyond MR images, new insights using 3D printed models are being incorporated as part of the armamentarium for a noninvasive evaluation of VMs. In this paper, we briefly review the pathophysiology of CNS VMs, focusing on the MRI findings that may be helpful to differentiate them. We discuss the role of each conventional and advanced MRI sequence for VMs assessment and provide some insights about the value of structured reports of 3D printing to evaluate VMs.

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