Patent ID: 8501156

Claim:
A method for detecting an unruptured cerebral aneurysm in a mammal, the method comprising: (a) intravascularly administering to the mammal a compound comprising: an antibody moiety for binding a protein or cell present in at least one of: a tunica intima, an internal elastic lamina, a tunica media and a tunica adventitia of a cerebral artery, that is accessible to the antibody moiety from the mammal's bloodstream due to formation of gaps between endothelial cells in an unruptured cerebral aneurysm and a label moiety; (b) detecting in vivo binding at a cerebral artery site of the antibody moiety to a protein or cell that is present in at least one of: a tunica intima, an internal elastic lamina, a tunica media and a tunica adventitia of a cerebral artery, and is accessible to the antibody moiety from the mammal's bloodstream due to formation of gaps between endothelial cells in an unruptured cerebral aneurysm in the mammal, wherein the presence of the bound antibody moiety at the cerebral artery site is indicative of an unruptured cerebral aneurysm in the mammal; and (c) optionally repeating steps (a) and (b) to ensure disappearance or reduction of any intracranial labeling.