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Cerebral Microbleeds: Imaging and Clinical Significance
Haller S, Vernooij MW, Kuijer JPA, Larsson EM, Jäger HR, Barkhof F.. Radiology, 2018-04-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), also referred to as microhemorrhages, appear on magnetic resonance (MR) images as hypointense foci notably at T2*-weighted or susceptibility-weighted (SW) imaging. CMBs are detected with increasing frequency because of the more widespread use of high magnetic field strength and of newer dedicated MR imaging techniques such as three-dimensional gradient-echo T2*-weighted and SW imaging. The imaging appearance of CMBs is mainly because of changes in local magnetic susceptibility and reflects the pathologic iron accumulation, most often in perivascular macrophages, because of vasculopathy.
Key findings
- CMBs are detected with increasing frequency because of the more widespread use of high magnetic field strength and of newer dedicated MR imaging techniques such as three-dimensional gradient-echo T2*-weighted and SW imaging.
- The imaging appearance of CMBs is mainly because of changes in local magnetic susceptibility and reflects the pathologic iron accumulation, most often in perivascular macrophages, because of vasculopathy.
- CMBs are depicted with a true-positive rate of 48%-89% at 1.5 T or 3.0 T and T2*-weighted or SW imaging across a wide range of diseases.
- False-positive "mimics" of CMBs occur at a rate of 11%-24% and include microdissections, microaneurysms, and microcalcifications; the latter can be differentiated by using phase images.
Why it matters
This review explains how cerebral microbleeds appear on MRI and what they reflect pathologically, including iron accumulation from vasculopathy. It is about imaging and clinical significance and offers no treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Effect sizeor 3.0
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 54/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Radiology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Radiology: journal h-index 431 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2018 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 310 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 31.0 citations a year over 10 year(s) since 2018 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 16.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 7 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 108 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Frederik Barkhof: h-index 184 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 9 institution(s) in 5 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 29558307) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2018170803
- PubMed: 29558307
- Original source →
- Free full text: Archive ouverte UNIGE (University of Geneva) →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Haller, S., Vernooij, M. W., Kuijer, J. P. A., Larsson, E. M., Jäger, H. R., & Barkhof, F. (2018). Cerebral Microbleeds: Imaging and Clinical Significance. Radiology. https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.2018170803
Vancouver
Haller S, Vernooij MW, Kuijer JPA, Larsson EM, Jäger HR, Barkhof F. Cerebral Microbleeds: Imaging and Clinical Significance. Radiology. 2018. doi:10.1148/radiol.2018170803. PMID: 29558307.
BibTeX
@article{haller2018-29558307,
author = {Haller, S. and Vernooij, M. W. and Kuijer, J. P. A. and Larsson, E. M. and Jäger, H. R. and Barkhof, F.},
title = {{Cerebral Microbleeds: Imaging and Clinical Significance}},
journal = {Radiology},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.1148/radiol.2018170803},
pmid = {29558307},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.2018170803}
}
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