Vasa vasorum of proximal cerebral arteries after dural crossing - potential imaging confounder in diagnosing intracranial vasculitis in elderly subjects on black-blood MRI.

Objectives: Vessel wall enhancement (VWE) may be commonly seen on MRI images of asymptomatic subjects. This study aimed to characterize the VWE of the proximal internal carotid (ICA) and vertebral arteries (VA) in a non-vasculitic elderly patient cohort.

Methods: Cranial MRI scans at 3 Tesla were performed in 43 patients (aged ≥ 50 years) with known malignancy for exclusion of cerebral metastases.

Imaging in Vasculitis.

Purpose Of Review: Vasculitides are characterized by mostly autoimmunologically induced inflammatory processes of vascular structures. They have various clinical and radiologic appearances. Early diagnosis and reliable monitoring are indispensable for adequate therapy to prevent potentially serious complications.