Donahue, Manus J.

SummaryIn sickle cell disease (SCD), cerebral oxygen delivery is dependent on the cerebral vasculature's ability to increase blood flow and volume through relaxation of the smooth muscle that lines intracranial arteries. We hypothesised that anaemia extent and/or circulating markers of inflammation lead to concentric macrovascular arterial wall thickening, visible on intracranial vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging (VW‐MRI). Adult and pediatric SCD (n = 69; age = 19.9 ± 8.6 years) participants and age‐ and sex‐matched control participants (n = 38; age = 22.2 ± 8.9 years) underwent 3‐Tesla VW‐MRI; two raters measured basilar and bilateral supraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA) wall thickness independently. Mean wall thickness was compared with demographic, cerebrovascular and haematological variables. Mean vessel wall thickness was elevated (P < 0·001) in SCD (1·07 ± 0·19 mm) compared to controls (0·97 ± 0·07 mm) after controlling for age and sex. Vessel wall thickness was higher in participants on chronic transfusions (P = 0·013). No significant relationship between vessel wall thickness and flow velocity, haematocrit, white blood cell count or platelet count was observed; however, trends (P < 0·10) for wall thickness increasing with decreasing haematocrit and increasing white blood cell count were noted. Findings are discussed in the context of how anaemia and circulating inflammatory markers may impact arterial wall morphology.

BackgroundIntracranial vessel wall imaging (VWI) at a clinical field strength of 3T has become more widely available. However, how vessel measurements change with age and sex, over an age range spanning a typical lifespan, are needed.Purpose/HypothesisTo assess for identifiable changes in arterial wall thickness, outer vessel wall diameter, and lumen diameter with age cross‐sectionally in healthy controls without cerebrovascular disease risk factors at the spatial resolution afforded by currently recommended 3T VWI approaches.Study TypeProspective.Population/SubjectsHealthy subjects (n = 82; age = 8–79 years).Field Strength/Sequence3T intracranial VWI, angiography, and T1‐weighted anatomical imaging.AssessmentTwo readers measured lumen and outer wall diameters of the supraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA) and distal basilar artery. Wall thickness and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated.Statistical TestsSeparate linear regressions were performed to understand the relationship between wall measurements (lumen diameter, outer vessel wall diameter, and wall thickness) and age, gender, side (left or right); significance: two‐sided P < 0.05.ResultsReaders showed excellent agreement for lumen and outer wall diameters (ICC 0.83–094). Linear regression of supraclinoid ICA wall measurements showed a statistically significant increase in wall thickness (P = 0.00051) and outer vessel wall diameter (P = 0.030) with age. ICA lumen and outer vessel wall diameters were statistically greater in males vs. females (lumen diameter 3.69 ± 0.41 vs. 3.54 ± 0.35 mm, P = 0.026; outer wall diameter 5.78 ± 0.52 vs. 5.56 ± 0.44 mm, P = 0.0089) with a trend toward increase in wall thickness (1.05 ± 0.12 vs. 1.01 ± 0.10 mm, P = 0.055). No significant difference was found in basilar artery wall thickness (P = 0.45, P = 0.72), lumen diameter (P = 0.15, P = 0.42), or outer vessel wall diameter (P = 0.34, P = 0.41) with age or gender, respectively.Data ConclusionIntracranial vessel wall measurements were shown to be consistent between readers. At the available spatial resolution of 3T intracranial VWI sequences, supraclinoid ICA vessel wall thickness and outer vessel wall diameter appear to mildly increase with age. There was no detectable change in basilar artery vessel wall characteristics with age.Level of Evidence: 2Technical Efficacy: Stage 3J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:1452–1460.