Diagnostic value of 64-slice spiral CT angiography in the diagnosis of multiple intracranial aneurysms: a report of 25 cases

Objective 　To evaluate the diagnostic value of 64-slice spiral CT angiography (CTA) in multiple intracranial aneurysms (MIA). Methods 　Twenty-five patients (9 males and 16 females, aged from 17 to 68 years) with suspected MIA underwent 64-slice spiral CTA with slice thickness of 0.625mm. The data of all patients were reconstructed with multiplanar reconstruction (MPR), 3-dimensional shade surface display (3-SSD), volume rendering (VR) and maximum intensity projection (MIP). The clinical diagnostic value was evaluated with the results of surgery or interventional embolization therapy. Results 　A total of 61 aneurysms were detected by 64-slice spiral CTA in 25 patients, among them 17 patients were with 2 aneurysms, 6 patients with 3 aneurysms, 1 patient with 4 aneurysms and 1 patient with 5 aneurysms. The 64-slice spiral CTA could not only clearly demonstrate MIA, but also the size, neck, axis point and parent artery of each aneurysm, and the spatial relationship between aneurysm and the adjacent vessels and bone structures. Twenty-one patients underwent microsurgery and four underwent embolization, the location, size and shape of aneurysm and its spatial relationship with adjacent structures were in accordance with the findings of 64-slice spiral CTA. Conclusion 　The 64-slice spiral CTA could be used as the first choice in the diagnosis of MIA for its high accuracy, and may be an important adjunct to digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in MIA treatment.