Basi-parallel anatomical scanning magnetic resonance imaging in patients with bilateral vertebrobasilar artery dissections.

A 31-year-old man presented with bilateral unruptured vertebral artery (VA) dissections. The temporal course of the dissected arteries was successively evaluated using brain surface imaging modality basi-parallel anatomical scanning (BPAS) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in combination with the conventional modalities of MR angiography and three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) angiography. Initially, BPAS-MR imaging clearly demonstrated bilateral fusiform dilatations of the arterial wall, whereas MR angiography and 3D-CT angiography showed irregular, dilated, or interrupted inner contour of the arteries. Finally, BPAS-MR imaging demonstrated resolution of both aneurysms, and MR angiography demonstrated obstruction of the left VA and normal contours of the right VA. Combination of diagnostic tools such as BPAS-MR imaging and MR angiography is useful for evaluating the exact nature of dissected arteries and determining the temporal course.