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http://dx.doi.org/10.13104/jksmrm.2014.18.2.151

T1-weighted FLAIR MR Imaging for the Evaluation of Enhancing Brain Tumors: Comparison with Spin Echo Imaging  

Jeong, Boseul (Department of Radiology, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine)
Choi, Dae Seob (Department of Radiology, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine)
Shin, Hwa Seon (Department of Radiology, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine)
Choi, Hye Young (Department of Radiology, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine)
Park, Mi Jung (Department of Radiology, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine)
Jeon, Kyung Nyeo (Department of Radiology, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine)
Na, Jae Beom (Department of Radiology, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine)
Chung, Sung Hoon (Department of Radiology, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine)
Publication Information
Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging / v.18, no.2, 2014 , pp. 151-156 More about this Journal
Abstract
Purpose : Spin-echo (SE) technique is most commonly used pulse sequence for T1-weighted MR imaging. T1-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (T1FLAIR) is a relatively new pulse sequence and it provides higher tissue contrast between the gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) of the brain than T1-weighted SE (T1SE) sequence. However, there has been controversy for the evaluation of enhancing brain tumors with T1FLAIR compared to T1SE. The purpose of this study was to compare T1FLAIR and T1SE sequences for the evaluation of enhancing intracranial tumors. Materials and Methods: Fifty-two patients with enhancing brain tumors were evaluated with contrast-enhanced (CE) T1SE and T1FLAIR imaging. Eight quantitative criteria were calculated: lesion-to-WM contrast ratio (CR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), lesion-to-GM CR and CNR, lesion-to-CSF CR and CNR, and WM-to-GM CR and CNR. For qualitative evaluation, two radiologists assessed lesion conspicuity on CE T1SE and T1FLAIR sequences with three-scale: 1, T1SE superior; 2, sequence equal; T1FLAIR superior. Results: Seventy-nine tumors (31 primaries, 48 metastases) were assessed. For quantitative measurement, the T1FLAIR lesion-to-GM, lesion-to-CSF, WM-to-GM CR and CNR values were comparable and statistically superior to those of the T1SE images (p < 0.001 in all). However, lesion-to-WM CR and CNR were similar on both two sequences without statistically significant difference (p = 0.661, 0.662, respectively). For qualitative evaluation, both radiologists assessed that T1FLAIR images were superior to T1SE images for the evaluation of lesion conspicuity. Conclusion: For the evaluation of enhancing intracranial tumors, T1FLAIR sequence was superior or comparable to T1SE sequence.
Keywords
Brain tumor; Magnetic resonance imaging; Pulse sequences; Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery;
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