Anita A. Harteveld1, Anja G. van der Kolk1, Nerissa P. Denswil2, Jeroen C.W. Siero1, Hugo J. Kuijf3, Aryan Vink4, Wim G.M. Spliet4, Peter R. Luijten1, Mat J. Daemen2, Jaco J.M. Zwanenburg1,3, and Jeroen Hendrikse1
1Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands, 2Pathology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 3Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands, 4Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
In
the last decade, several MRI sequences have been developed for direct
visualization of the intracranial vessel wall. Although much is known about
vessel wall (intima-media) thickness of extracranial arteries, less is known
about the intracranial arterial vessel wall. In the current study, vessel wall
thickness of major intracranial arteries was measured in ex vivo samples of the circle of Willis, using 7T MRI and
histological validation, to ultimately provide a reference guide for normal
intracranial vessel wall thickness. The results show
that ultrahigh-resolution MRI at 7T enables accurate measurement of vessel wall
thickness in ex vivo CoW specimens.