Quantitative Assessment of Cerebral Arterial Morphology in Tanzanian Children with Sickle Cell Anaemia Using MR Angiography

Motivation: Vasculopathy is common in sickle cell anaemia (SCA) and is associated with stroke and other complications. Understanding changes to cerebral arterial morphology may provide new insight into disease mechanisms in the brain. Goal(s): Apply an automated, quantitative approach to investigate and compare cerebral arterial morphology in children with SCA and matched controls. Approach: Used 3D time-of-flight MR angiography and vascular analysis software to compare cerebral arterial morphology in 184 SCA patients and 41 controls in Tanzania. Results: SCA patients exhibited significant increases in total vascular volume, network length, surface area, and number of branches, with a reduced mean segment volume compared to controls. Impact: Automated morphological analysis of MR angiograms revealed significant alterations in cerebral arterial morphology in Tanzanian children with SCA, suggesting compensatory vascular adaptations. Applying this approach in other studies may improve understanding of brain vasculopathy in SCA and other diseases.