Cone-beam CT angiography to assess the microvascular anatomy of intracranial arterial dissections

Abstract

Background Intracranial artery dissection is a rare and generally under-recognized cause of ischaemic stroke or subarachnoid haemorrhage. Objectives The aim of this study was to analyse the efficacy of cone-beam computed tomography angiography (CBCT-A) to detect arterial ultrastructural alterations in intracranial artery dissection. Method This is an observational and retrospective case series. Results Between January 2018 and November 2020, four patients were admitted with an acute ischaemic stroke due to intracranial dissection studied with CBCT-A. In all cases, the CBCT-A documented vascular ultrastructural alterations related with the intracranial dissection. Conclusions CBCT-A is an intraprocedural diagnostic technique that is useful for the diagnosis of intracranial dissections.