Turkish Neurosurgery 2014 , Vol 24 , Num 2
Intravascular Virtual MR Endoscopy Evaluation of Cerebral Aneurysms
Lutfi INCESU1, Kerim ASLAN1, Ahmet Veysel POLAT1, Cengiz COKLUK2, Zuhal Candan ERENLER3, Onur TOKATLIOGLU4, Mehmet Ozgur YILDIRIM5, Haldun Baris DIREN6
1Ondokuz Mayis University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Samsun, Turkey
2Ondokuz Mayis University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Samsun, Turkey
3Giresun State Hospital, Department of Radiology, Giresun, Turkey
4Samsun Buyuk Anadolu Hospital, Department of Radiology, Samsun, Turkey
5Mediva Hospital, Department of Radiology, Samsun, Turkey
6Medicana International Ankara Hospital, Department of Radiology, Ankara, Turkey
DOI : 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.8242-13.1 AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of intravascular virtual MR endoscopy in the planning of correct surgical clipping of the aneurysm neck.

MATERIAL and METHODS: A total of 36 aneurysms were detected by using magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in thirty patients. Intravascular virtual MR endoscopy is a realistic 3-dimensional simulation of intravascular structures that is generated by postprocessing of MRA maximum-intensity projection images. The images were evaluated by two neuroradiologists, in terms of image quality via qualitative analysis of MRA and intravascular virtual MR endoscopy of the orifice of the aneurysm neck, as well as the relationship of the main and bifurcating arteries with the orifice of the aneurysm. The readers were fully blinded. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the differences in mean scores for each reader between these two groups.

RESULTS: Based on the scoring system, evaluating image quality using qualitative analysis, both readers found the mean scores to be 3.82 ± 0.52 and 3.91 ± 0.72 for intravascular virtual MR endoscopy, and 2.97 ± 0.71 and 2.89 ± 0.83 for MRA, which was statistically different (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION: Intravascular virtual MR endoscopy may provide useful knowledge in the proper the surgical clipping of the aneurysm neck. Keywords : Cerebral aneurysm, Intravascular virtual MR endoscopy, Magnetic resonance angiography

Corresponding author : Kerim Aslan, mdkerim@hotmail.com