Comparison of Diagnostic Value of MRI and MRV with MRI/MRV Combination in Cerebral Venous Thrombosis

Abstract

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is not so common, but it could be lethal if the diagnosis is delayed. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance venography (MRV) and a combination of MRI and MRV have been suggested in such patients, but a direct comparison between the three imaging techniques is missing. In this study a total of 10 patients with definite subacute CVST and 10 controls underwent MRI and MRV. Sensitivity and specificity of the three mentioned techniques were calculated. The sensitivity and specificity of MRI alone were 93.2% and 89.5%. The corresponding values were 77.4% and 96.9% for MRV alone, and 90.3% and 97.3% for a combination of MRI and MRV, respectively. According to these findings, a combination of MRI and MRV is superior to MRI or MRV alone in detecting subacute CVST.

Keywords: MRI, MRV, Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis.