Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease (ICAD) and VasculitisNCT07448454
Role of Vessel Wall MRI in Differentiaition Between Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease and Vasculitis as Causes of Ischemic Stroke
A study testing MRI in people with Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease (ICAD) and Vasculitis, run by Assiut University.
Trial summary
This work aims to clarify the diagnostic ability of vessel wall MRI to differentiate between intracranial atherosclerotic disease and vasculitis as causes of ischemic stroke, thereby guiding appropriate treatment and improving patient outcomes. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any age
- Conditions the study is for
- Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease (ICAD) and Vasculitis
- What is being tested?
- MRI
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 46 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 1 Mar 2026to 1 Apr 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Patients with ischemic stroke within 2 weeks from onset detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and have intracranial artery stenosis seen in magnetic resonance angiography (MRA).
Who cannot join
- Contraindications for MRI such as claustrophobia, heart pacemaker and ferromagnetic implants.
- Contraindications for contrast as patients with renal impairment.
- Patients in which the misaligned images or distortions due to motion artifacts made the interpretation of the MRI unreliable.
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Official title: Role of Vessel Wall MRI in Differentiaition Between Intrcranial Atherosclerotic Disease and Vasculitis as Causes of Ischemic Stroke
This work aims to clarify the diagnostic ability of vessel wall MRI to differentiate between intracranial atherosclerotic disease and vasculitis as causes of ischemic stroke, thereby guiding appropriate treatment and improving patient outcomes.
Read the detailed description
Intracranial arterial diseases, such as intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) and vasculitis, are major contributors to ischemic stroke globally. Differentiating these conditions, which is critical for effective clinical management given their distinct pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutic requirements. Traditional imaging modalities, including magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), computed tomography angiography (CTA), and digital subtraction angiography (DSA), predominantly assess the arterial lumen, detecting stenosis or occlusion. While valuable for identifying luminal abnormalities, these techniques often fail to characterize the vessel wall pathology, a key limitation in distinguishing between ICAD and vasculitis. Both conditions can manifest with similar clinical presentations of ischemic stroke, rendering diagnosis challenging with conventional methods.
Vessel wall magnetic MRI has emerged as an effective diagnostic tool. This non-invasive technique directly visualizes and characterizes the intracranial arterial wall, providing detailed information on wall thickening patterns, contrast enhancement characteristics, and plaque morphology. Current strategies show ability of vessel wall MRI to differentiate Intracranial atherosclerotic disease, typically presenting with eccentric wall thickening and eccentric enhancement if the atherosclerotic plaque is active and no enhancement if the atherosclerotic plaque is inactive, from vasculitis, which often exhibits circumferential wall thickening and enhancement.
The rationale for utilizing vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging stems from the need to move beyond mere luminal assessment to a more granular, tissue-level understanding of cerebrovascular disease. This advanced characterization facilitates precise diagnosis, guides appropriate treatment decisions-such as antiplatelet therapy for intracranial atherosclerotic disease versus immunosuppression for vasculitis-and ultimately aims to improve patient outcomes following ischemic stroke.
- Being tested
- MRI
- Medical subject headings
- Vasculitis
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
MRIDevice
Vessel wall MRI in differentiation between intracranial atherosclerotic disease and vasculitis as causes of ischemic stroke
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| No Arms have been specified for this study. | Other | Not described Receives: Device: MRI |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Role of vessel wall MRI in differentiation between intracranial atherosclerotic disease and vasculitis as causes of ischemic stroke by detection of eccentric or circumferential arterial wall thickening and pattern of postcontrast enhancement.
Vessel wall MR sequences including T1 pre and post contrast in order to differentiate between intracranial atherosclerotic plaque and vasculitis and to assess atherosclerotic plaque activity by detection of eccentric or circumferential arterial wall thickening and pattern of postcontrast enhancement.
According to previous studies, if there is enhancing eccenteric arterial wall thickening, it considered active athrosclerotic plaque, if there is non enhancing eccenteric aretrial wall thickening, it considered inactive atherosclerotic plaque.
If there is enhancing circumferential arterial wall thickening, it considered vasculitis
Measured: Baseline
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Mar 2026
- Study start1 Mar 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Apr 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (9)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease (ICAD) and VasculitisStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Assiut UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Diagnosis
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 46 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Assiut University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Mahmoud Abdelbaset Mahmoud Mohamed, Assiut University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07448454
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Vessel wall MRI
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 20 Feb 2026
- Last updated
- 4 Mar 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Li F, Wang Y, Hu T, Wu Y. Application and interpretation of vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging for intracranial atherosclerosis: a narrative review. Ann Transl Med. 2022 Jun;10(12):714. doi: 10.21037/atm-22-2364.
PubMed 35845481D'Aniello S, Rustici A, Gramegna LL, Godi C, Piccolo L, Gentile M, Zini A, Carrozzi A, Lodi R, Tonon C, Dall'Olio M, Simonetti L, Chieffo R, Anzalone N, Cirillo L. The Contribution of Vessel Wall Magnetic Resonance Imaging to the Diagnosis of Primary and Secondary Central Nervous System Vasculitis. Diagnostics (Basel). 2024 Apr 29;14(9):927. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics14090927.
PubMed 38732340Hu T, Ling R, Zhu Y. Advancements in imaging of intracranial atherosclerotic disease: beyond the arterial lumen to the vessel wall. Rev Neurosci. 2024 Nov 19;36(3):229-241. doi: 10.1515/revneuro-2024-0076. Print 2025 Apr 28.
PubMed 39565965Chaganti J, Woodford H, Tomlinson S, Dunkerton S, Brew B. Black blood imaging of intracranial vessel walls. Pract Neurol. 2020 Dec 29:practneurol-2020-002806. doi: 10.1136/practneurol-2020-002806. Online ahead of print.
PubMed 33376151Mazzacane F, Mazzoleni V, Scola E, Mancini S, Lombardo I, Busto G, Rognone E, Pichiecchio A, Padovani A, Morotti A, Fainardi E. Vessel Wall Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Cerebrovascular Diseases. Diagnostics (Basel). 2022 Jan 20;12(2):258. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics12020258.
PubMed 35204348Alzein MM, Patel A, Abdalla RN, Cantrell DR, Shaibani A, Ansari SA. MR Vessel Wall Imaging for Atherosclerosis and Vasculitis. Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2024 May;34(2):251-260. doi: 10.1016/j.nic.2024.02.001.
PubMed 38604709Edjlali M, Qiao Y, Boulouis G, Menjot N, Saba L, Wasserman BA, Romero JM. Vessel wall MR imaging for the detection of intracranial inflammatory vasculopathies. Cardiovasc Diagn Ther. 2020 Aug;10(4):1108-1119. doi: 10.21037/cdt-20-324.
PubMed 32968663Tritanon O, Mataeng S, Apirakkan M, Panyaping T. Utility of high-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging in differentiating between atherosclerotic plaques, vasculitis, and arterial dissection. Neuroradiology. 2023 Mar;65(3):441-451. doi: 10.1007/s00234-022-03093-7. Epub 2022 Dec 2.
PubMed 36456894Kang DW, Kim DY, Kim J, Baik SH, Jung C, Singh N, Song JW, Bae HJ, Kim BJ. Emerging Concept of Intracranial Arterial Diseases: The Role of High Resolution Vessel Wall MRI. J Stroke. 2024 Jan;26(1):26-40. doi: 10.5853/jos.2023.02481. Epub 2024 Jan 30.
PubMed 38326705
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 4 Mar 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Role of Vessel Wall MRI in Differentiaition Between Intrcranial Atherosclerotic Disease and Vasculitis as Causes of Ischemic Stroke
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07448454
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Vessel wall MRI
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 46 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Assiut UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Mar 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Apr 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 4 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This work aims to clarify the diagnostic ability of vessel wall MRI to differentiate between intracranial atherosclerotic disease and vasculitis as causes of ischemic stroke, thereby guiding appropriate treatment and improving patient outcomes.
Detailed description
Intracranial arterial diseases, such as intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) and vasculitis, are major contributors to ischemic stroke globally. Differentiating these conditions, which is critical for effective clinical management given their distinct pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutic requirements. Traditional imaging modalities, including magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), computed tomography angiography (CTA), and digital subtraction angiography (DSA), predominantly assess the arterial lumen, detecting stenosis or occlusion. While valuable for identifying luminal abnormalities, these techniques often fail to characterize the vessel wall pathology, a key limitation in distinguishing between ICAD and vasculitis. Both conditions can manifest with similar clinical presentations of ischemic stroke, rendering diagnosis challenging with conventional methods.
Vessel wall magnetic MRI has emerged as an effective diagnostic tool. This non-invasive technique directly visualizes and characterizes the intracranial arterial wall, providing detailed information on wall thickening patterns, contrast enhancement characteristics, and plaque morphology. Current strategies show ability of vessel wall MRI to differentiate Intracranial atherosclerotic disease, typically presenting with eccentric wall thickening and eccentric enhancement if the atherosclerotic plaque is active and no enhancement if the atherosclerotic plaque is inactive, from vasculitis, which often exhibits circumferential wall thickening and enhancement.
The rationale for utilizing vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging stems from the need to move beyond mere luminal assessment to a more granular, tissue-level understanding of cerebrovascular disease. This advanced characterization facilitates precise diagnosis, guides appropriate treatment decisions-such as antiplatelet therapy for intracranial atherosclerotic disease versus immunosuppression for vasculitis-and ultimately aims to improve patient outcomes following ischemic stroke.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Diagnosis
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| No Arms have been specified for this study. | Other | Device: MRI |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Patients with ischemic stroke within 2 weeks from onset detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and have intracranial artery stenosis seen in magnetic resonance angiography (MRA).
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Contraindications for MRI such as claustrophobia, heart pacemaker and ferromagnetic implants.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| MRIVessel wall MRI in differentiation between intracranial atherosclerotic disease and vasculitis as causes of ischemic stroke | Device | No Arms have been specified for this study. |
Primary outcome
Role of vessel wall MRI in differentiation between intracranial atherosclerotic disease and vasculitis as causes of ischemic stroke by detection of eccentric or circumferential arterial wall thickening and pattern of postcontrast enhancement.
Time frame: Baseline
Vessel wall MR sequences including T1 pre and post contrast in order to differentiate between intracranial atherosclerotic plaque and vasculitis and to assess atherosclerotic plaque activity by detection of eccentric or circumferential arterial wall thickening and pattern of postcontrast enhancement. According to previous studies, if there is enhancing eccenteric arterial wall thickening, it considered active athrosclerotic plaque, if there is non enhancing eccenteric aretrial wall thickening, it considered inactive atherosclerotic plaque. If there is enhancing circumferential arterial wall thickening, it considered vasculitis
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 4 Mar 2026.
- Background: PubMed 35845481Li F, Wang Y, Hu T, Wu Y. Application and interpretation of vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging for intracranial atherosclerosis: a narrative review. Ann Transl Med. 2022 Jun;10(12):714. doi: 10.21037/atm-22-2364.
- Background: PubMed 38732340D'Aniello S, Rustici A, Gramegna LL, Godi C, Piccolo L, Gentile M, Zini A, Carrozzi A, Lodi R, Tonon C, Dall'Olio M, Simonetti L, Chieffo R, Anzalone N, Cirillo L. The Contribution of Vessel Wall Magnetic Resonance Imaging to the Diagnosis of Primary and Secondary Central Nervous System Vasculitis. Diagnostics (Basel). 2024 Apr 29;14(9):927. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics14090927.
- Background: PubMed 39565965Hu T, Ling R, Zhu Y. Advancements in imaging of intracranial atherosclerotic disease: beyond the arterial lumen to the vessel wall. Rev Neurosci. 2024 Nov 19;36(3):229-241. doi: 10.1515/revneuro-2024-0076. Print 2025 Apr 28.
- Background: PubMed 33376151Chaganti J, Woodford H, Tomlinson S, Dunkerton S, Brew B. Black blood imaging of intracranial vessel walls. Pract Neurol. 2020 Dec 29:practneurol-2020-002806. doi: 10.1136/practneurol-2020-002806. Online ahead of print.
- Background: PubMed 35204348Mazzacane F, Mazzoleni V, Scola E, Mancini S, Lombardo I, Busto G, Rognone E, Pichiecchio A, Padovani A, Morotti A, Fainardi E. Vessel Wall Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Cerebrovascular Diseases. Diagnostics (Basel). 2022 Jan 20;12(2):258. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics12020258.
- Background: PubMed 38604709Alzein MM, Patel A, Abdalla RN, Cantrell DR, Shaibani A, Ansari SA. MR Vessel Wall Imaging for Atherosclerosis and Vasculitis. Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2024 May;34(2):251-260. doi: 10.1016/j.nic.2024.02.001.
- Background: PubMed 32968663Edjlali M, Qiao Y, Boulouis G, Menjot N, Saba L, Wasserman BA, Romero JM. Vessel wall MR imaging for the detection of intracranial inflammatory vasculopathies. Cardiovasc Diagn Ther. 2020 Aug;10(4):1108-1119. doi: 10.21037/cdt-20-324.
- Background: PubMed 36456894Tritanon O, Mataeng S, Apirakkan M, Panyaping T. Utility of high-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging in differentiating between atherosclerotic plaques, vasculitis, and arterial dissection. Neuroradiology. 2023 Mar;65(3):441-451. doi: 10.1007/s00234-022-03093-7. Epub 2022 Dec 2.
- Background: PubMed 38326705Kang DW, Kim DY, Kim J, Baik SH, Jung C, Singh N, Song JW, Bae HJ, Kim BJ. Emerging Concept of Intracranial Arterial Diseases: The Role of High Resolution Vessel Wall MRI. J Stroke. 2024 Jan;26(1):26-40. doi: 10.5853/jos.2023.02481. Epub 2024 Jan 30.
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing MRI in people with Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease (ICAD) and Vasculitis, run by Assiut University.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Mahmoud Abdelbaset Mahmoud, MSC (002 01121244528, mahmoudabdo5000@yahoo.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Role of vessel wall MRI in differentiation between intracranial atherosclerotic disease and vasculitis as causes of ischemic stroke by detection of eccentric or circumferential arterial wall thickening and pattern of postcontrast enhancement. (time frame: Baseline). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07448454, which also lists 9 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 4 Mar 2026.