Susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI), is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique with high spatial resolution and sensitivity to identify the magnetic susceptibility differences between tissues. Comparing to the conventional MRI methods, SWI is extremely sensitive in detecting blood products (e.g. deoxyhemoglobin and hemosiderin), changes in iron content, and calcification because the paramagnetic substances in the brain or cerebral vessels present a clear signal loss on SWI. Therefore, there is a growing interest in using SWI technique in the diagnosis of cerebrovascular diseases, such as ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, cerebral venous thrombosis, etc., due to its ability to identify the Cerebral Microbleeds (CMB) and cerebrovascular lesions which may be obscured on other MR sequences.
SWI can be applied in various ways. Asymmetric cortical venous sign (ACVS) and asymmetric medullary vein dilation (AMVD) detected via SWI suggest hypoperfusion in the corresponding brain regions, which may predict early neurological deterioration after acute ischemic stroke. For isolated cortical venous thrombosis, SWI has the advantage to demonstrate the direct signal of occluded veins that cannot be easily shown even using digital subtraction angiography (DSA) which has been considered as the gold standard in visualizing cerebral venous thrombosis. SWI currently is the most sensitive in vivo method for detecting and analyzing Cerebral Micro-bleeds (CMB), - a key feature of hypertensive cerebral small vessel disease or cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). More encouragingly, clinical and SWI characteristics present the possibility to establish a probabilistic diagnosis of CAA before the symptomatic lobar hemorrhage occurs.
Though SWI has already been studied for cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) for more than ten years, it is yet a commonly used MRI sequence in CVD diagnoses in practice.
This Research Topic focuses on the clinical applications of SWI in CVD diagnoses (e.g. ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, cerebral venous thrombosis, and other vascular diseases of the central nervous system), aiming to encourage experiences sharing as well as to provoke further discussions of using SWI as an important MRI sequence in CVD diagnoses. We hope these studies will extend the clinical significance of CMBs, clarify the mechanisms and effects of asymmetric cortical venous signs on stroke outcome, as well as the diagnostic value of SWI in cerebral venous thrombosis.
We welcome original articles and reviews within the scope of the following sub-themes:
1. Clinical investigation of the significance of CMBs in patients with CVD.
2. Clinical research focusing on the evaluation of perfusion using SWI and the effects on stroke prognosis.
3. Neuroimaging studies to quantify the measurement of SWI-related parameters in CVD.
4. Clinical research on the application of SWI in cerebral venous thrombosis.
Susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI), is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique with high spatial resolution and sensitivity to identify the magnetic susceptibility differences between tissues. Comparing to the conventional MRI methods, SWI is extremely sensitive in detecting blood products (e.g. deoxyhemoglobin and hemosiderin), changes in iron content, and calcification because the paramagnetic substances in the brain or cerebral vessels present a clear signal loss on SWI. Therefore, there is a growing interest in using SWI technique in the diagnosis of cerebrovascular diseases, such as ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, cerebral venous thrombosis, etc., due to its ability to identify the Cerebral Microbleeds (CMB) and cerebrovascular lesions which may be obscured on other MR sequences.
SWI can be applied in various ways. Asymmetric cortical venous sign (ACVS) and asymmetric medullary vein dilation (AMVD) detected via SWI suggest hypoperfusion in the corresponding brain regions, which may predict early neurological deterioration after acute ischemic stroke. For isolated cortical venous thrombosis, SWI has the advantage to demonstrate the direct signal of occluded veins that cannot be easily shown even using digital subtraction angiography (DSA) which has been considered as the gold standard in visualizing cerebral venous thrombosis. SWI currently is the most sensitive in vivo method for detecting and analyzing Cerebral Micro-bleeds (CMB), - a key feature of hypertensive cerebral small vessel disease or cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). More encouragingly, clinical and SWI characteristics present the possibility to establish a probabilistic diagnosis of CAA before the symptomatic lobar hemorrhage occurs.
Though SWI has already been studied for cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) for more than ten years, it is yet a commonly used MRI sequence in CVD diagnoses in practice.
This Research Topic focuses on the clinical applications of SWI in CVD diagnoses (e.g. ischemic stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, cerebral venous thrombosis, and other vascular diseases of the central nervous system), aiming to encourage experiences sharing as well as to provoke further discussions of using SWI as an important MRI sequence in CVD diagnoses. We hope these studies will extend the clinical significance of CMBs, clarify the mechanisms and effects of asymmetric cortical venous signs on stroke outcome, as well as the diagnostic value of SWI in cerebral venous thrombosis.
We welcome original articles and reviews within the scope of the following sub-themes:
1. Clinical investigation of the significance of CMBs in patients with CVD.
2. Clinical research focusing on the evaluation of perfusion using SWI and the effects on stroke prognosis.
3. Neuroimaging studies to quantify the measurement of SWI-related parameters in CVD.
4. Clinical research on the application of SWI in cerebral venous thrombosis.