Diagnostic value of magnetic resonance venography in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and venous sinus variation of normal people

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the consistency of MRV and MRI for the diagnosis of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), and to study MRV performance of normal people and venous sinus variation performed by MRV.  Methods Both MRI and MRV examinations were performed in 29 CVST patients to explore the diagnostic coincidence rate. Eleven normal controls were collected to recieve MRI and MRV examinations, and the variability of blood flow and connection mode in intracranial venous sinus was observed.  Results Coincidence rate was 92.59% (25/27) in the 3.0T, and was 88.24% (15/17) in the 1.5T. The major sinus variation of the normal controls was mainly located in the transverse sinus. Among 11 normal controls, 5 persons had almost the same thickness of bilateral transverse sinus, 5 had thicker
right transverse sinus, and 1 had thicker left transverse sinus.  Conclusions MRV has a high coincidence rate with MRI in the diagnosis of CVST, but it can not distinguish the inherent variability, which can be judged when combined with MRI scan. Variation in brain venous sinus of normal people is mainly concentrated in transverse sinus. Traditional view believes that left transverse sinus can be thinner than the right. However, based on current data, right transverse sinus can be thinner than the left.

doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2014.11.017