TY - JOUR
T1 - Comparison of gadolinium-enhanced fat-saturated T1-weighted FLAIR and fast spin-echo MRI of the spine at 3 T for evaluation of extradural lesions
AU - Shah, Komal B.
AU - Guha-Thakurta, Nandita
AU - Schellingerhout, Dawid
AU - Madewell, John E.
AU - Kumar, Ashok J.
AU - Costelloe, Colleen M.
PY - 2011/9
Y1 - 2011/9
N2 - OBJECTIVE. Inversion recovery has been used to correct the loss of CSF and tissue contrast at 3 T versus 1.5 T but has not been formally investigated in the spine after IV administration of gadolinium-based contrast agent. The purpose of this study is to compare two sequences for gadolinium-enhanced spine imaging at 3 T - fat-saturated T1-weighted FLAIR and fat-saturated T1-weighted fast spin-echo (FSE) - for evaluation of extradural lesions and CSF-cord contrast. MATERIALS AND METHODS. After IV administration of gadolinium-based contrast agent, fat-saturated T1-weighted FSE and FLAIR sequences were obtained in 156 MRI scans of 143 patients at 3 T. Three experienced radiologists compared these sequences for conspicuity differences in bone lesions, disk lesions, other epidural lesions, and cord-CSF contrast. A 7-point visual rating scale was used, with lower numbers indicating increased conspicuity on gadolinium-enhanced fat-saturated T1-weighted FLAIR and higher numbers indicating increased conspicuity on gadolinium-enhanced fat-saturated T1-weighted FSE. RESULTS. A slight increase in the conspicuity of gadolinium-enhancing bone lesions (mean score, 3.6; p 〈 0.0001), disk lesions (mean score, 3.5; p 〈 0.0001), and epidural lesions (mean score, 3.4; p 〈 0.0001) was seen on fat-saturated T1-weighted FLAIR compared with fat-saturated T1-weighted FSE. A higher degree of contrast between the spinal cord and CSF was seen on fat-saturated T1-weighted FLAIR, by a large margin (mean score, 1.8; p 〈 0.0001). All enhancing lesions seen on fat-saturated T1-weighted FSE images were also seen on fat-saturated T1-weighted FLAIR images. CONCLUSION. Decreased CSF-cord contrast at 3 T, as seen on T1-weighted FSE, can be regained by using T1-weighted FLAIR. Fat-saturated T1-weighted FLAIR may increase conspicuity of gadolinium-enhancing extradural lesions compared with fat-saturated T1-weighted FSE.
AB - OBJECTIVE. Inversion recovery has been used to correct the loss of CSF and tissue contrast at 3 T versus 1.5 T but has not been formally investigated in the spine after IV administration of gadolinium-based contrast agent. The purpose of this study is to compare two sequences for gadolinium-enhanced spine imaging at 3 T - fat-saturated T1-weighted FLAIR and fat-saturated T1-weighted fast spin-echo (FSE) - for evaluation of extradural lesions and CSF-cord contrast. MATERIALS AND METHODS. After IV administration of gadolinium-based contrast agent, fat-saturated T1-weighted FSE and FLAIR sequences were obtained in 156 MRI scans of 143 patients at 3 T. Three experienced radiologists compared these sequences for conspicuity differences in bone lesions, disk lesions, other epidural lesions, and cord-CSF contrast. A 7-point visual rating scale was used, with lower numbers indicating increased conspicuity on gadolinium-enhanced fat-saturated T1-weighted FLAIR and higher numbers indicating increased conspicuity on gadolinium-enhanced fat-saturated T1-weighted FSE. RESULTS. A slight increase in the conspicuity of gadolinium-enhancing bone lesions (mean score, 3.6; p 〈 0.0001), disk lesions (mean score, 3.5; p 〈 0.0001), and epidural lesions (mean score, 3.4; p 〈 0.0001) was seen on fat-saturated T1-weighted FLAIR compared with fat-saturated T1-weighted FSE. A higher degree of contrast between the spinal cord and CSF was seen on fat-saturated T1-weighted FLAIR, by a large margin (mean score, 1.8; p 〈 0.0001). All enhancing lesions seen on fat-saturated T1-weighted FSE images were also seen on fat-saturated T1-weighted FLAIR images. CONCLUSION. Decreased CSF-cord contrast at 3 T, as seen on T1-weighted FSE, can be regained by using T1-weighted FLAIR. Fat-saturated T1-weighted FLAIR may increase conspicuity of gadolinium-enhancing extradural lesions compared with fat-saturated T1-weighted FSE.
KW - 3 T
KW - Contrast enhancement
KW - MRI techniques
KW - Spine
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U2 - 10.2214/AJR.10.4887
DO - 10.2214/AJR.10.4887
M3 - Article
C2 - 21862814
AN - SCOPUS:80052231658
SN - 0361-803X
VL - 197
SP - 697
EP - 703
JO - American Journal of Roentgenology
JF - American Journal of Roentgenology
IS - 3
ER -