Sixty-four-row multislice computed tomographic angiography in the diagnosis and characterization of intracranial aneurysms: comparison with 3D rotational angiography.

BACKGROUND Sixty-four-row multislice computed tomographic angiography (CTA) has great potential for use in vascular studies. The aim of our study was to compare 64-slice CTA with three-dimensional rotational angiography (3DRA) in the detection and characterization of intracranial aneurysms with special attention to smaller (<3-mm) aneurysms. METHODS In a prospective study, a total of 133 patients were included who successively underwent 64-slice CTA and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) examinations for suspected intracranial aneurysms. The 64-slice CTA, conventional DSA, and 3DRA images were independently reviewed by five readers who performed the presence, shape, dimension, and location of aneurysms. The 3DRA results were considered as the ultimate reference standard. RESULTS The reference standard revealed 111 aneurysms in 93 patients: 27 aneurysms were read as <3 mm, 66 were read as being between 3 and 8 mm, and 18 were read as >8 mm. The sensitivities of 64-slice CTA for aneurysms<3 mm, between 3 and 8 mm, and >8 mm were 96.3%, 98.5%, and 100%, respectively, on a per-aneurysm basis. The sensitivities of conventional DSA for aneurysms<3 mm, between 3 and 8 mm, and >8 mm were 85.2%, 100%, and 100%, respectively, on a per-aneurysm basis. The 64-slice CT angiographic images could clearly show the aneurysmal characteristics and the relationship between aneurysms and adjacent branch vessels. CONCLUSION Sixty-four-slice CTA is a highly accurate imaging examination of the first-line imaging technique for detecting and characterizing intracranial aneurysms including <3-mm aneurysms.