Magnetic resonance angiography with ultrashort echo time evaluates cerebral aneurysm with clip
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Received: ,
Accepted: ,
Abstract
Keywords
We would like to report the usefulness of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) with ultrashort echo time (TE) for the assessment of the cerebral aneurysm after clipping. Non-invasive methods are better for the assessment of the cerebral aneurysm after clipping. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography angiography (CTA) is usually valuable,[4] but it has side effects of contrast medium. Time-of-flight (TOF) MRA is a non-invasive and fast method. However, clip-induced artifact limits assessment of the artery in the vicinity of a clip, especially of aneurysm neck remnants.[1]
MRA with ultrashort TE reduces metal artifact.[2,3] We use MAGNETOM Aera 1.5T (SIEMENS, München, Germany) and perform pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA)-MRA using ultrashort TE for the assessment of the cerebral aneurysm after clipping.
Case 1: clipping for the unruptured aneurysm at the right middle cerebral artery using the Sugita titanium clip (Mizuho, Tokyo, Japan). CTA described M1 and M2 portion of the middle cerebral artery and the vicinity of the clip in detail (arrow, Figure 1a). TOF-MRA did not describe them due to clip-induced artifact (arrow, Figure1b), but PETRA-MRA revealed the arteries (arrow, Figure 1c). Case 2: clipping for the ruptured aneurysm at the left internal carotid artery using the same clip. CTA described the aneurysm neck remnant due to incomplete clipping (arrow, Figure 1d), but it was indistinguishable by TOF-MRA (arrow, Figure 1e). However, PETRA-MRA revealed and morphologically evaluated it (arrow, Figure 1f).

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the usefulness of PETRA-MRA for the assessment of the cerebral aneurysm and its neck remnant after clipping. PETRA-MRA can reduce the time and the invasiveness and may be helpful for the usual follow-up of the clipped aneurysm with the development of MRA technology in the future.
Acknowledgment
Conception and design: YK, YY. Acquisition of data: YK, YY, TU, AN, NW. Drafting the article: MK, YK. Reviewed submitted version of manuscript: all authors. Approved the final version of the manuscript on behalf of all authors: YK.DECLARATION OF PATIENT CONSENT
The authors certify that they have obtained all appropriate patient consent.Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.REFERENCES
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