Diagnostic value of HR‐MRI and DCE‐MRI in unilateral middle cerebral artery inflammatory stenosis

PURPOSE: High‐resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR‐MRI) has high spatial resolution and can simultaneously perform wall and lumen imaging. Dynamic contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE‐MRI) can evaluate the integrity of the blood–brain barrier. In this paper, the result of 3.0T HR‐MRI and 3.0T DCE‐MRI has been evaluated to explore the application value of unilateral middle cerebral artery inflammatory stenosis and changes in vascular permeability parameters of stroke events. METHODS: Thirty‐six cases of neurological suspicion of central nervous system vasculitis of our hospital were selected from 20 January 2018 to 1 January 2019, who were diagnosed as unilateral middle cerebral artery M1 stenosis/occlusion by 3D TOF MRA. 3.0T HR‐MRI and 3.0T DCE‐MRI has been applied. RESULTS: Among the 36 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 23 patients with central nervous system vasculitis were diagnosed. The 23 patients with HR‐MRI showed diffuse thickening and enhanced stenosis. The K (trans) value of 10/23 patients with acute–subacute cerebral infarction and 3/23 patients in chronic phase were significantly higher than that of the mirror side, and the K (trans) value of these patients remeasured in the same region of interest is lower than before after 6 months treatment. The K (trans) value in the target area of 10 patients without cerebrovascular events was not statistically significant compared with the mirror side. The K (trans) value of patients with acute–subacute cerebral infarction was significantly higher than that without cerebrovascular events (0.098 ± 0.038 vs. 0.007 ± 0.001, p = .000), and there was no significant difference between K (trans) in the chronic infarction group and the other two groups (0.098 ± 0.038 vs. 0.044 ± 0.012, p = .058; 0.044 ± 0.012 vs. 0.007 ± 0.001, p = .057). CONCLUSION: HR‐MRI is an accurate direct imaging method and has a high value for the etiological diagnosis of central nervous system vasculitis. DCE‐MRI could be an effective way to evaluate and monitor blood–brain barrier to prevent clinical ischemic stroke.