Three‐dimensional spin‐echo‐based black‐blood MRA in the detection of vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage

Background Black‐blood MR angiography (BBMRA), which utilizes a non‐T1 contrast spin‐echo type technique, has been expected to overcome several issues associated with time‐of‐flight (TOF) MRA. Purpose To investigate the efficacy of BBMRA to detect vasospasms following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Study Type Retrospective. Subjects Seventeen patients with SAH in their early posttreatment period. Field Strength/Sequence BBMRA, which uses a volumetric isotropic turbo spin‐echo acquisition (VISTA), and TOF‐MRA on 1.5T scanners. Assessment Visualization of supratentorial arteries and veins in BBMRA was rated on a 4‐point scale by two neuroradiologists. Another neuroradiologist independently assessed TOF‐MRA. The degree of the vasospasm was then evaluated using a 3‐point scale by the same readers. The diagnostic performance of the MRAs was evaluated using computed tomography angiography (CTA) or digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as the standard of reference. Statistical Tests Wilcoxon signed rank test, McNemar test, and Cohen's kappa coefficient. Results BBMRA provided superior visualization of the anterior and middle cerebral arteries than TOF‐MRA (P