Multi-contrast, isotropic, single-slab 3D MR imaging in multiple sclerosis

• DOI: 10.1007/s00330-008-1009-7
• Publication Date: 2008-05-28T07:24:46Z
• Authors: Bastiaan Moraal; Stefan D. Roosendaal; Petra J. W. Pouwels; Hugo Vrenken; Ronald A. van Sch...; Dominik S. Meier; Charles R. G. Gut...; Jeroen J. G. Geurts; Frederik Barkhof
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Multiple Sclerosis; Brain; Reproducibility of Results; Middle Aged; Image Enhancement; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Sensitivity and Specificity; Young Adult; 03 medical and health sciences; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; 0302 clinical medicine; Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; Anisotropy; Humans; Female; Algorithms

To describe signal and contrast properties of an isotropic, single-slab 3D dataset [double inversion-recovery (DIR), fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), T2, and T1-weighted magnetization prepared rapid acquisition gradient-echo (MPRAGE)] and to evaluate its performance in detecting multiple sclerosis (MS) brain lesions compared to 2D T2-weighted spin-echo (T2SE). All single-slab 3D sequences and 2D-T2SE were acquired in 16 MS patients and 9 age-matched healthy controls. Lesions were scored independently by two raters and characterized anatomically. Two-tailed Bonferroni-corrected Student's t-tests were used to detect differences in lesion detection between the various sequences per anatomical area after log-transformation. In general, signal and contrast properties of the 3D sequences enabled improved detection of MS brain lesions compared to 2D-T2SE. Specifically, 3D-DIR showed the highest detection of intracortical and mixed WM-GM lesions, whereas 3D-FLAIR showed the highest total number of WM lesions. Both 3D-DIR and 3D-FLAIR showed the highest number of infratentorial lesions. 3D-T2 and 3D-MPRAGE did not improve lesion detection compared to 2D-T2SE. Multi-contrast, isotropic, single-slab 3D MRI allowed an improved detection of both GM and WM lesions compared to 2D-T2SE. A selection of single-slab 3D contrasts, for example, 3D-FLAIR and 3D-DIR, could replace 2D sequences in the radiological practice.