Vol. 4, Issue 2, Article 2 Neurographics logo Sanelli, P., Shetty, S. & Lev, M.

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Table 2. CTA/CTP vs. MRA/MRP (Fig. 8)
  CT MR
Advantages

*Fast, available, less expensive *Better in emergency setting and for critically ill patients

*No radiation
*No iodinated contrast
*Whole brain MRP coverage

Disadvantages *Limited CTP coverage (2 cm per cine bolus acquisition)

*Non-linear relationship between contrast concentration and signal intensity
*Noisier images

Resolution

*Improved spatial resolution

*Improved contrast resolution

Artifacts

*Beam hardening (metal, bone)

*Flow-related “slow flow”
*Susceptibility (metal, blood, calcification)

Patient contraindications

*Allergy to iodinated contrast
*Renal dysfunction

*Implantable devices (pacemakers, cochlear implants, clips of uncertain origin, claustrophobia)

Angiography data

*Anatomic data – non-flow dependent

*Physiologic data - flow-dependent

Perfusion agents

*Iodinated contrast

*Gadolinium contrast
*Arterial spin labeling (RBC bolus tracking)

Perfusion data
(Commercially available software)

*Qualitative or quantitative *Qualitative only (relative values)
Total acquisition time for Angio/Perfusion exam

*10 – 15 min

*30 – 45 min

Detection of:
1. Vascular occlusion

*CTA > MRA

*MRA < CTA

2. “Core” infarct

*CBV, CTA-SI, NCCT

*DWI > CT-CBV

3. “Ischemic penumbra”

*CT-CBV/CT-CBF, MTT mismatch

*DWI/MR-CBF,MTT mismatch

 



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