Magnetic resonance angiography for evaluation of intracranial aneurysms treated with Guglielmi detachable coils

Thirteen cases of cerebral aneurysms submitted to endovascular treatment using Guglielmi detachable coils (GDC) are described. Control MRI-angiography 3D TOF was performed three and six months later. In order to spare patients the discomfort and risks related to repeated trauma and iodate contrast injection, we examined the possibility of an alternative non-invasive diagnostic method. For this purpose, the digital subtraction angiograms performed three and six months after embolisation were compared with the MR- angiograms obtained in the same period, all using the same tomograph at middle field intensity (0.5T). We discuss the outcome of this comparison and the limits of the MR-angiography method in the follow-up of aneurysms submitted to endovascular treatment.