Non-Invasive Evaluation of Cerebral Hemodynamic Changes After Surgery in Adult Patients With Moyamoya Using 2D Phase-Contrast and Intravoxel Incoherent Motion MRI

To explore the feasibility of 2D phase-contrast MRI (PC-MRI) and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MRI to assess cerebrovascular hemodynamic changes after surgery in adult patients with moyamoya disease (MMD).

In total, 33 patients with MMD who underwent 2D PC-MRI and IVIM examinations before and after surgery were enrolled. Postsurgical changes in peak and average velocities, average flow, forward volume, and the area of superficial temporal (STA), internal carotid (ICA), external carotid (ECA), and vertebral (VA) arteries were evaluated. The microvascular perfusion status was compared between the hemorrhage and non-hemorrhage groups.

The peak velocity, average flow, forward volume, area of both the ipsilateral STA and ECA, and average velocity of the ipsilateral STA were increased (p < 0.05). The average flow and forward volume of both the ipsilateral ICA and VA and the area of the ipsilateral VA were increased (p < 0.05). The peak velocity, average velocity, average flow and forward volume of the contralateral STA, and the area of the contralateral ICA and ECA were also increased (p < 0.05), whereas the area of the contralateral VA was decreased (p < 0.05). The rf value of the ipsilateral anterior cerebral artery (ACA) supply area was increased (p < 0.05) and more obvious in the non-hemorrhage group (p < 0.05).

Two-dimensional PC-MRI and IVIM may have the potential to non-invasively evaluate cerebrovascular hemodynamic changes after surgery in patients with MMD. An improvement in the microvascular perfusion status is more obvious in patients with ischemic MMD than in patients with hemorrhagic MMD.