University Department of Radiology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK.
AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2012 Sep;33(8):1427-35. doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A2697. Epub 2011 Sep 22.
Intracranial atherosclerotic disease may constitute the most common cause of ischemic stroke worldwide; yet, in the developed world, imaging research has largely focused on extracranial atherosclerosis. Many studies in populations of Asian, African, and Hispanic descent demonstrate the preponderance of intracranial stenosis compared with carotid stenosis. This review examines the clinical presentations of MCA atherosclerosis and stenosis and the use of noninvasive MR imaging in the assessment of intracranial vasculature. MRA is a well-validated technique that offers great advantage over traditional angiography. Advances in high-resolution MR imaging of MCA stenosis have the potential to yield excellent visualization of plaque. Future developments in high-resolution MR imaging to depict intracranial atherosclerosis are explored in this review; these advances will guide endovascular therapy and the comparison of novel interventions.
颅内动脉粥样硬化疾病可能是全球范围内缺血性中风最常见的原因；然而，在发达国家，影像学研究主要集中在颅外动脉粥样硬化上。许多在亚洲、非洲和西班牙裔人群中的研究表明，与颈动脉狭窄相比，颅内狭窄更为常见。本综述探讨了 MCA 动脉粥样硬化和狭窄的临床表现，以及非侵入性磁共振成像在颅内血管评估中的应用。MRA 是一种经过充分验证的技术，相对于传统血管造影具有很大的优势。MCA 狭窄的高分辨率磁共振成像的进步有可能实现斑块的极好可视化。本综述探讨了高分辨率磁共振成像在描绘颅内动脉粥样硬化方面的未来发展；这些进展将指导血管内治疗和新型干预措施的比较。
