Gradient-echo T2～*-weighted MRI Detects Intracerebral Microbleeds In Cerebrovascular Disease Patient And Its Clinic Significance

BACKGRAOUND: At present, neurology researchers pay attention to intracerebral microangiopathy of cerebrovascular disease patients increasingly, but the research works usually focus on ischemic disease. Recent research had found that blood can leak-out because of advanced microangiopathy and form a signal change in Gradient-echo T2*-weighted MRI called intracerebral microbleeds(IMBs). Now. IMBs had not been paid enough regard to in our country. only two groups of Chinese authors had done such study on clinical research. No particular report was found regarding the comparison of the sensitivity between the Gradient-echo T2*-weighted MRI and SE sequence in detecting IMBs.OBJECTIVE:: 1) To observe the frequency and location of IMBs in cerebrovascular disease patients. 2) To compare the sensitivity between the Gradient-echo T2*-weighted MRI and SE sequence in detecting IMBs. 3) To correlate IMBs with the severity of white matter changes and munber of lacunar infarcts.MATERIALS AND METHODS: All examinations were performed on a 1.5 T superconducting magnet system (Siemens Magnetom Symphony). We selected T₁WI , T₂WI and Gradient-echo T2*-weighted MRI routinely.Forty cerebrovascular disease patients (22 males, 18 females) met the criteria for inclusion in the study. Cases were diagnosed by clinical history and other diagnostic methods.All of our findings were checked and approved by two radiology professors to make results more trustworthy. Statistical analysis was used in our study.RESULTS: Eleven (27.5%) cases were found with IMBs which were noted in various regions of the brain. The basal ganglia and thalamus are the regions that the IMBs most frequent exist.In the sensitivity to IMBs, Gradient-echo T2*-weighted MRI is much better than SE sequence.There was a correlation between the number of IMBs and the munber of lacunar infarcts or severity of white matter changes.CONCLUSION: 1) There is considerable frequency in cerebrovascular disease patients to find IMBs and the basal ganglia and thalamus are the regions that the IMBs most frequent exist. 2) In the sensitivity to IMBs, Gradient-echo T2*-weighted MRI is much better than SE sequence. 3) There was a correlation between the number of IMBs and the munber of lacunar infarcts or severity of white matter changes. The results suggest that IMBs may be an indicator of advanced microangiopathy with an increased risk of bleeding which should be taken into consideration during the treatment of cerebrovascular disease.