Optimal detection of infratentorial lesions with a combined dual-echo MRI sequence: “PT2”

Abstract

Background:

The infratentorial compartment is cardinal for multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis. T2-weighted (T2) and proton density–weighted (PD) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can visualize infratentorial lesions, but only suboptimally.

Objective:

To combine PD and T2 for better lesion assessment.

Methods:

T2 and PD from 35 cases were averaged to form “PT2” images. Two raters counted infratentorial lesions and qualitatively assessed their conspicuity.

Results:

PT2 showed 244 infratentorial lesions, of which 94% and 74% were seen in PD and T2. PT2 received higher grades for image quality and lesion conspicuity (p < 0.001 for all comparisons).

Conclusion:

PT2 could improve our ability to diagnose and monitor MS.

Keywords

Multiple sclerosis MRI infratentorial brain T2 lesions

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Gawne-Cain

O’Riordan

Thompson

. Multiple sclerosis lesion detection in the brain: A comparison of fast fluid-attenuated inversion recovery and conventional T2-weighted dual spin echo. Neurology 1997; 49(2): 364–370.

Simon

Schmidt

Lukas

. Improved in vivo detection of cortical lesions in multiple sclerosis using double inversion recovery MR imaging at 3 Tesla. Eur Radiol 2010; 20(7): 1675–1683.

Rovira

Wattjes

Tintore

. Evidence-based guidelines: MAGNIMS consensus guidelines on the use of MRI in multiple sclerosis–clinical implementation in the diagnostic process. Nat Rev Neurol 2015; 11(8): 471–482.

Wattjes

Harzheim

Kuhl

. Does high-field MR imaging have an influence on the classification of patients with clinically isolated syndromes according to current diagnostic MR imaging criteria for multiple sclerosis? Am J Neuroradiol 2006; 27(8): 1794–1798.

Polman

Reingold

Banwell

. Diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis: 2010 revisions to the McDonald criteria. Ann Neurol 2011; 69(2): 292–302.

Kurtzke

. A new scale for evaluating disability in multiple sclerosis. Neurology 1955; 5(8): 580–583.

Landis

Koch

. The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics 1977; 33(1): 159–174.

Minneboo

Barkhof

Polman

. Infratentorial lesions predict long-term disability in patients with initial findings suggestive of multiple sclerosis. Arch Neurol 2004; 61(2): 217–221.

Tintore

Rovira

Arrambide

. Brainstem lesions in clinically isolated syndromes. Neurology 2010; 75(21): 1933–1938.

10.

Preziosa

Rocca

Mesaros

. Relationship between damage to the cerebellar peduncles and clinical disability in multiple sclerosis. Radiology 2014; 271(3): 822–830.

Supplementary Material

Please find the following supplemental material available below.

For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.

For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.

0.00 MB

0.17 MB