Comparison of 7T MRA and DSA regarding the number of detected collateral networks and image quality for anastomoses to major trunk vessels and collateral pathways to cortical vessels
| Type | Connecting Vessels in Collateral Networks | DSA | TOF-MRA | MPRAGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collateral networks connecting to cortical arteries | ||||
| a | Striate/choroidal arteries and medullary-cortical arteries | 11 | 16 | 8 |
| b | Striate/choroidal arteries and the pericallosal arteries | 7 | 9 | 4 |
| Total | 18 | 25 | 12 | |
| Image quality (n = 18)a (mean) (SEM) (range) | 4.0 (0.26, 3–5) | 4.8 (0.10, 3–5) | 2.4 (0.35, 1–5) | |
| Collateral networks connecting to major trunk vessels | ||||
| c | Choroidal arteries or PcomA and thalamostriate arteries | 21 | 19 | 9 |
| d | Intrastriatal arteries | 21 | 22 | 16 |
| e | Intrathalamic arteries | 8 | 8 | 6 |
| f | Moyamoya vessels in the basal cistern | 32 | 32 | 30 |
| Total | 82 | 81 | 61 | |
| Image quality (n = 82)a (mean) (SEM) (range) | 4.6 (0.07, 2–5) | 4.4 (0.12, 3–5) | 2.7 (0.13, 1–5) |
Note:—PcomA indicates posterior communicating artery.
↵a Image quality was evaluated in collateral networks detected by DSA as a clinical standard using a 5-point scale.