Suzuki Staging

In brief: Suzuki staging classifies angiographic changes from early arterial narrowing through development and later reduction of basal moyamoya vessels as other collateral routes become dominant.

Use in moyamoya disease

The six-stage system is based on catheter angiography. Early stages emphasize narrowing and emergence of basal collaterals. Middle stages show prominent moyamoya vessels. Later stages show increasing external carotid contribution and fading of the basal network.

Stage is recorded by hemisphere and can differ between sides. It does not directly measure symptoms, disability, perfusion, or surgical urgency. [1]

Clinical detail

Progression is not always observed step-by-step in an individual. Treatment decisions integrate stage with clinical events, brain injury, posterior circulation, collateral quality, and reserve.