Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are defined as small, rounded, or ovoid, homogeneous hypointense lesions on T2*-weighted gradient-echo and other susceptibility-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences. They must be differentiated from other causes of focal hypointensities on these sequences. Although CMBs can be caused by a variety of diseases, they are most frequently associated with different forms of cerebral small vessel diseases. This review summarizes the MRI characteristics of CMBs including methodological considerations, as well as prevalence, differential diagnosis, mimics, and clinical relevance of CMBs.
Keywords: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy; Cerebral microbleeds; Cerebral small vessel disease; MRI; T2*-weighted sequences.