Detection of residual brain arteriovenous malformations after radiosurgery: diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced four-dimensional MR angiography at 3.0 T.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of four-dimensional MR angiography (4D-MRA) at 3.0 T for detecting residual arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) after Gamma Knife® (Elekta Instrument AB, Stockholm, Sweden) radiosurgery (GKRS). Methods: We assessed 36 angiographically confirmed AVMs in 36 patients who had been treated with GKRS. 4D-MRA was performed after GKRS and the time intervals were 39.4±26.0 months [mean±standard deviation (SD)]. 4D-MRA was obtained at 3.0 T after contrast injection, with a measured voxel size of 1×1×1 mm and a temporal resolution of 1.1 s (13 patients) or a voxel size of 1×1×2 mm and a temporal resolution of 0.98 s (23 patients). X-ray angiography was performed as the standard reference within 53±47 days (mean±SD) after MRA. To determine a residual AVM, the 4D-MRA results were independently reviewed by two readers blinded to the X-ray angiography results. We evaluated diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) a...