Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Human Spine and Spinal Cord at 3 Tesla

2005 ◽  
Vol 18 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 606-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Albini Riccioli ◽  
A.F. Marliani ◽  
P. Ghedin ◽  
V. Clementi ◽  
R. Agati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Field Strength ◽  
Spin Echo ◽  
Inhomogeneous Magnetic Field ◽  
3 Tesla ◽  
Fast Spin Echo ◽  
Tissue Contrast ◽  
Fast Spin ◽  
3T Mr

Investigation of the spinal cord with a high field strength MR system is hampered by the inhomogeneous magnetic field, physiological movements and the small size of the anatomical area. We describe normal and pathological neuroradiological findings and the parameters of optimized sequences for use with the new 3T MR systems. Thanks to its high spatial resolution, temporal resolution and signal/noise ratio, use of a 3 Tesla MR device (Signa EXCITE 3T) and a dedicated phased array coil has dramatically improved spine and spinal cord imaging, clearly displaying the anatomic details most difficult to examine. The longer T1 longitudinal tissue relaxation time with 3T MR systems is proportional to the strength of the external magnetic field B0. Tissue contrast between white matter, grey matter, CSF and bone tissue is not optimal with traditional spin echo and/or fast spin echo sequences. Hence they are often replaced by T1 Flair acquisitions (Fast Spin Echo–IR with average inversion times of 800–1000ms) which yield T1 weighted images with satisfactory contrast. Unlike images produced by systems using a lower magnetic field strength, 3T MR T2 sequences are highly diagnostic, disclosing the finest anatomical details.

Spinal cord MRI using multi-array coils and fast spin echo: II. Findings in multiple sclerosis

Neurology ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 43 (12) ◽  
pp. 2632-2632 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Kidd ◽  
J. W. Thorpe ◽  
A. J. Thompson ◽  
B. E. Kendall ◽  
I. F. Moseley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spin Echo ◽  
Fast Spin Echo ◽  
Fast Spin ◽  
Array Coils

Improved imaging of the spinal cord in multiple sclerosis using three-dimensional fast spin echo

1998 ◽  
Vol 40 (7) ◽  
pp. 416-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. L. Stevenson ◽  
I. F. Moseley ◽  
C. C. Phatouros ◽  
D. MacManus ◽  
A. J. Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spin Echo ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Fast Spin Echo ◽  
Fast Spin

Comparison of T1-weighted fast spin-echo and T1-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images of the lumbar spine at 3.0 tesla

2010 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 290-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleftherios Lavdas ◽  
Marianna Vlychou ◽  
Nikos Arikidis ◽  
Eftychia Kapsalaki ◽  
Violetta Roka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Lumbar Spine ◽  
Disc Herniation ◽  
Spin Echo ◽  
Cauda Equina ◽  
Fast Spin Echo ◽  
Flair Sequence ◽  
Metastatic Lesions ◽  
Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery ◽  
Fast Spin

Background: T1-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence has been reported to provide improved contrast between lesions and normal anatomical structures compared to T1-weighted fast spin-echo (FSE) imaging at 1.5T regarding imaging of the lumbar spine. Purpose: To compare T1-weighted FSE and fast T1-weighted FLAIR imaging in normal anatomic structures and degenerative and metastatic lesions of the lumbar spine at 3.0T. Material and Methods: Thirty-two consecutive patients (19 females, 13 males; mean age 44 years, range 30–67 years) with lesions of the lumbar spine were prospectively evaluated. Sagittal images of the lumbar spine were obtained using T1-weighted FSE and fast T1-weighted FLAIR sequences. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses measuring the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and relative contrast (ReCon) between degenerative and metastatic lesions and normal anatomic structures were conducted, comparing these sequences. Results: On quantitative evaluation, SNRs of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), nerve root, and fat around the root of fast T1-weighted FLAIR imaging were significantly lower than those of T1-weighted FSE images ( P<0.001). CNRs of normal spinal cord/CSF and disc herniation/ CSF for fast T1-weighted FLAIR images were significantly higher than those for T1-weighted FSE images ( P<0.001). ReCon of normal spinal cord/CSF, disc herniation/CSF, and vertebral lesions/CSF for fast T1-weighted FLAIR images were significantly higher than those for T1-weighted FSE images ( P<0.001). On qualitative evaluation, it was found that CSF nulling and contrast at the spinal cord (cauda equina)/CSF interface for T1-weighted FLAIR images were significantly superior compared to those for T1-weighted FSE images ( P<0.001), and the disc/spinal cord (cauda equina) interface was better for T1-weighted FLAIR images ( P<0.05). Conclusion: The T1-weighted FLAIR sequence may be considered as the preferred lumbar spine imaging sequence compared to T1-weighted FSE, as it has demonstrated superior CSF nulling, better conspicuousness of normal anatomic structures and degenerative and metastatic lesions, and improved image contrast.

Diffusion‐prepared fast spin echo for artifact‐free spinal cord imaging

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seung‐Yi Lee ◽  
Briana P. Meyer ◽  
Shekar N. Kurpad ◽  
Matthew D. Budde
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spin Echo ◽  
Fast Spin Echo ◽  
Fast Spin ◽  
Spinal Cord Imaging

scholarly journals Comparison of proton density MRI and T2-Weighted Fast Echo for The Detection of Cervical Spinal Cord Multiple Sclerosis Lesions

2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 195-201
Author(s):  
Iman Emad Ahmed ◽  
Hayder Kareem Al-Jaberi ◽  
Mohammed M. Jawad Alkahlissi
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Cervical Spinal Cord ◽  
Spin Echo ◽  
Fast Spin Echo ◽  
Cervical Cord ◽  
Proton Density ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Fast Spin

Background: The prevalence of spinal cord lesions is high in multiple sclerosis particularly in the cervical cord, and their detection can assist in both the diagnosis and follow-up of the patients. For spinal multiple sclerosis, MRI is considered the first line investigation. Objective: To evaluate the value of sagittal 1.5 Tesla proton density-fast spin echo (PD-FSE) MRI in the detecting and increasing conspicuity of multiple sclerosis lesions in cervical cord in comparison with sagittal T2 fast spin-echo (T2-FSE) MRI. Patients and Methods: A cross sectional study carried out from 3rd of January 2017 to 1st of January 2018 in the MRI department of Al-Imamein Al-Kadhimein Medical City, and included 60 selected patients with a known diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. All patients were examined with 1.5 T sagittal PD-FSE, T2-FSE and axial gradient recalled-echo (GRE) MRI. Results: Sixty patients with cervical multiple sclerosis were enrolled in the study, 146 (100%) lesions were detected by PD-FSE imaging, while T2 detected 105 (71.9%), 41 more lesions (28%) were detected by PD-FSE imaging, (P-value <0.001). All extra lesions were confirmed on axial imaging. In 13 patients (21.6%) one lesion or more had been detected on sagittal PD-FSE imaging while on sagittal T2-FSE imaging, no lesion were detected. On PD-FSE imaging, 17 long lesions were detected in 16 patients (26.7%) while 7 long lesions in 7 patients (11.7%) were detected by T2-FSE imaging. So, in 9 patients (16.7%) 10 lesions were detected as long in PD-FSE while short lesion in T2– FSE, the detection of long lesions by PD-FSE was significantly higher than in T2– FSE (100% vs 71.9% with p- value of 0.002). The mean lesion contrast to cord ratio was significantly higher in PD-FSE as compared to T2-FSE (PD-FSE, 79±2.0, against T2-FSE, 61± 2.6; P-value <0.001). Conclusion: Sagittal proton density was more efficient and more accurate in the detection of cervical cord lesions than sagittal T2-FSE sequence, when used in conjunction with sagittal T2-FSE; it can raise the diagnostic assurance via improving the visualization of the lesions. 

scholarly journals Spinal cord MRI in multiple sclerosis with multicoil arrays: a comparison between fast spin echo and fast FLAIR.

1996 ◽  
Vol 61 (6) ◽  
pp. 632-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Filippi ◽  
T A Yousry ◽  
H Alkadhi ◽  
M Stehling ◽  
M A Horsfield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spin Echo ◽  
Fast Spin Echo ◽  
Fast Spin
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