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Differential diagnosis of infundibular dilation versus a small aneurysm of the internal carotid artery: assessment by three-dimensional rotational angiography with volume rendering

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Abstract

We report our findings associated with the differential diagnosis of infundibular dilation (ID) versus a small intracranial aneurysm using three-dimensional rotational angiography with volume rendering (3DRA + VR). Angiographic findings associated with IDs found via two-dimensional digital subtraction angiography (2D-DSA) or 3DRA + VR were reviewed for 138 consecutive patients with known or suspected aneurysms. Two readers independently evaluated the results of 2D-DSA and 3DRA + VR according to the same diagnostic criteria. We also evaluated the ability of 3D-DSA to show the spatial relation between IDs and anterior choroidal (AchA)/posterior communicating (PcomA) arteries. 2D-DSA and 3DRA + VR found 41 and 48 IDs, respectively. 2D-DSA missed five AchA and two PcomA IDs. 2D-DSA was significantly inferior to 3DRA + VR for displaying the spatial relation between IDs and AchA/PcomA (P = 0). Thus, 3DRA + VR provides more useful information for distinguishing IDs from aneurysms. The superiority of 3DRA + VR might be because of its ability to display the spatial relation between IDs and AchA/PcomA.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Natural Scientific Fund of China (contract no. 30570540), the Shanghai Important Subject Fund of Medicine (contract no. 05 III 023), and the Program for Shanghai Outstanding Medical Academic Leader (contract no. LJ 06016).

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We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

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Correspondence to Ming-Hua Li or Jian-Ping Gu.

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Shi, WY., Li, YD., Li, MH. et al. Differential diagnosis of infundibular dilation versus a small aneurysm of the internal carotid artery: assessment by three-dimensional rotational angiography with volume rendering. Neurol Sci 34, 1065–1070 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-012-1182-y

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