A study on cerebral hemodynamic analysis of moyamoya disease by using perfusion MRI

This study examined the clinical applications of perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with moyamoya disease (MMD). Twenty-two patients with moyamoya disease (9 men and 13 women) with a mean age of 9.3 years (range: 4–22 years) were enrolled in this study. Perfusion MRI was performed by scanning the patients7.5 cm upward from the base of the cerebellum before their being process for post-treatment. The scan led to the acquisition of the following four map images: the cerebral blood volume (CBV), the cerebral blood flow (CBF), the mean transit time (MTT) for the contrast medium, and the time to peak (TTP) for the contrast medium. The lesions were assessed using the CBV, the CBF, the MTT and the TTP maps of perfusion MRI; the MTT and the TTP were measured in the lesion areas, as well as in the normal and the symmetric areas. Perfusion defects were recognizable in all four perfusion MRI maps, and the MTT and the TTP showed a conspicuous delay in the parts where perfusion defects were recognized. The MTT and the TTP images of perfusion MRI reflected a significant correlation between the degrees of stenosis and occlusion in the posterior cerebral artery (PCA), as well as the development of collateral vessels. The four perfusion MRI maps could be used to predict the degrees of stenosis and occlusion in the posterior circulation, as well as the development of the collateral vessels, which enabled a hemodynamic evaluation of the parts with perfusion defects. Overall, perfusion MRI is useful for the diagnosis and the treatment of moyamoya disease and can be applied to clinical practice.