We performed 25 control studies in 17 patients with cerebral aneurysms embolized with Guglielmi coils (GDC), both with MR-angiography (MRA) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA). No case studied with MRA showed artifacts due to GDC. In some cases (15/25, 60%) there was a poor visualization of small vessels, distal to the aneurysm (probably caused by turbulent flow due to GDC presence).
In cases with complete occlusion (16/25) there was a good correlation between MRA and DSA. At the moment the cases of partial occlusion (9/25) are too few to express a true judgement. In conclusion MRA may become an alternative to DSA, mainly in elderly patients.
