Values of arterial spin labeling in evaluating blood-brain barrier permeability in cerebral infarction lesions and predicting hemorrhage transformation after endovascular recanalization / 中华神经医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To assess the role of arterial spin labeling (ASL) in detecting the blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability of cerebral infarction lesions in patients with anterior circulation subacute ischemic stroke (SIS), and to evaluate the value of ASL in predicting hemorrhagic transformation (HT) of SIS patients after endovascular recanalization.Methods:A prospective analysis was performed. Patients with anterior circulation SIS who received endovascular treatment (EVT) in our hospital from January 2021 to September 2021 were enrolled. At 24 h before EVT and immediately after EVT, MRI scans of ASL sequences and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (DCE) sequence were completed, and Xper CT was performed; accordingly, imaging typing was performed. Head CT scan was performed 24-48 h after EVT to observe HT; according to the presence or absence of HT, these patients were divided into HT group and non-HT group; the relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) values of ASL sequence parameters, volume transfer constant (K trans) of DCE sequence parameters and the differences of ASL, DCE and Xper CT imaging types between the two groups were compared. The weighted Kappa coefficient was used to test the consistency among ASL, DCE and Xper CT imaging types. Results:Among 22 eligible patients, 5 patients occurred HT (5/22, 22.72%). As compared with those in the non-HT group (1.14±0.04; 0.032[0.024, 0.039]/min), patients in the HT group had significantly higher rCBF value (1.57±0.18) and K trans (0.072[0.0455, 0.117]/min, P<0.05). There were significant differences in the distribution of ASL, DCE and Xper CT imaging types between the two groups ( P<0.05); among them, 4 out of 6 patients with ASL imaging type III, 4 out of 6 patients with DCE imaging type III, and 4 out of 5 patients with Xper CT imaging type III had HT. ASL sequence and DCE sequence had a high consistency in the imaging types (Kappa coefficient=0.941, 95%CI: 0.862-1.020, P<0.001). Conclusion:ASL can effectively evaluate the BBB permeability of cerebral infarction lesions in patients with anterior circulation SIS; patients with ASL imaging type III have a relatively high risk of HT.