J Korean Radiol Soc.  1994 Oct;31(4):607-613.

Prognostic Significance of MR Angiography in Patients with Cerebral Infarction

• Kim JH
• Kang HK
• Seo JJ
• Kim JK
• Moon WJ
• Kim YH
• Cho KH

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was designed to evaluate the prognostic significance of Magnetic resonance angiography(MRA) in patients with cerebral infarction.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Magnetic Resonance imaging(MRI) and 2 dimensional or 3 dimensional Time-of-Flight MR were performed subsequently in 83 patients with cerebral infarction proven by brain CT and clinical manifestations, using GE Signa Advantage 1.5T. We classified the size of infarction on MRI as Extent I((2cm), Extent 11(2-6cm), Extent ill( > 6cm) and classified the intracranial vascular occlusion according to visualizations of intracranial vascular branches on MRA as Grade 0, Grade I, Grade II, Grade III. And we evaluated clinical outcomes of these patients according to Rankin's disability scale, compared with MRI and MRA.
RESULTS
In 72 cases(86.8%), the larger the size of infarction on MRI, the more severe vascular occlusion on MRA, the worse the clinical outcomes were noted(p < 0.01). However, in 7 cases(8.4%) who showed huge cerebral infarction on MRI with low grade intracranial vascular occlusion on MRA, the clinical outcomes were improved. In 4 cases(4.8%) who noted small sized cerebral infarction on MRI with high grade vascular occlusion on MRA, the clinical outcomes were worsened.
CONCLUSION
MRA provides additional useful information to that provided by MRI in predicting the prognosis of patients with cerebral infarction.

MeSH Terms

Angiography*
Brain
Cerebral Infarction*
Humans
Infarction
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Prognosis