Preliminary study of MR susceptibility-weighted imaging in cerebral vascular malformation

Objective: To discuss the value of susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) in the cerebral vascular malformations and the features of SWI. Materials and Methods: Forty-one patients (with cerebral vascular malformations including 23 cases of cavernous angioma, 13 cases of arterio -venous malformation, 5 cases of venous malformation) were examined with MR scanner. The sequences included SWI, T1WI, T2WI and post-contrast T1WI. The comparison of SWI and conventional MR se- quences was done according to surgical findings and the imaging of DSA, then discuss the value of SWI in the diagnosis of cerebral vascular malformations. Results: SWI showed more lesions of cavernous angioma than conventional sequences, and SWI detected 3 cases of wide spread hemangiomas and 5 cases with multiple nidi. SWI displayed the same lesion larger than the conventional sequences. Five cases of venous malformation, 6 lesions are shown by SWI, and 5 shown by conventional se- quences, and the medullary veins showed clearly, according to the post-contrast T1WI; SWI revealed 13 feeding arteries and 18 draining veins, and the conventional sequences showed the same number of feeding arteries and 13 draining veins. Con- clusion: SWI is the best sensitive sequence for detecting cerebral vascular malformation, and the ideal method to screen the cerebral vascular malformations, it will provide more complete and detailed information combining with other sequences.