ENHANCEMENT OF THE INTRACRANIAL ARTERIAL-WALL AT MR-IMAGING - RELATIONSHIP TO CEREBRAL ATHEROSCLEROSIS

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between intracranial arterial wall enhancement and atherosclerosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Intracra nial vertebral arteries of 30 patients and carotid arteries of 62 pati ents were studied with spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging with contr ast enhancement and spatial presaturation. Arterial wall enhancement w as graded as follows: stage 1, no substantial enhancement; stage 2, fa int or thin area of enhancement; stage 3, definite and thick area of e nhancement. RESULTS: In vertebral arteries, stage 3 enhancement was se en in 11 patients (mean age, 73.7 years) and stage 1 in eight (mean ag e, 56.4 years). In carotid arteries, stage 3 enhancement was seen in 1 3 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). CONCLUSION: Arterial wall enhancement is related to aging and is probably due to neovascularity in association with atherosclerotic plaques. This finding map permit assessment of intracranial atheroscle rosis and other vascular diseases.