American Journal of Neuroradiology, Vol 13, Issue 4 1169-1177, Copyright © 1992 by American Society of Neuroradiology
ARTICLES |
Rapid MR imaging of the pediatric brain using the fast spin-echo technique
SS Ahn, MT Mantello, KM Jones, RV Mulkern, PS Melki, N Higuchi and PD Barnes
Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
PURPOSE: To evaluate diagnostic reliability and to establish optimal scanning techniques of a recently developed Fast Spin-echo MR pulse sequence that allows rapid proton density-weighted and T2-weighted imaging. METHODS: We compared lesion conspicuity and signal intensity measurements on Fast Spin-echo and conventional spin-echo sequences in 81 patients ranging from 1 week to 25 years in age on a 1.5-T MR unit. A total of 28 Fast Spin-echo dual-echo images (14 slice locations) were obtained in 2:08 minutes with a 256 x 128 matrix or in 3:12 minutes with a 256 x 192 matrix at a TR of 2000 msec and two excitations. RESULTS: Lesion conspicuity and characterization on Fast Spin-echo images compared favorably with conventional spin-echo images in our series when pseudo-TEs of 15 and 90 msec were employed for proton density-weighted and T2-weighted images, respectively. Fast Spin-echo images yielded diagnostic information in four nonsedated patients whose conventional spin-echo images were either degraded by motion or unobtainable. Fat signal remained bright on T2-weighted Fast Spin-echo images. Magnetic-susceptibility effects were slightly reduced with Fast Spin-echo but did not pose any diagnostic problem in our series. CONCLUSION: Diagnostically reliable rapid dual-echo brain images can be obtained with Fast Spin-echo sequences.
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  R. L. Robertson, L. Ben-Sira, P. D. Barnes, R. V. Mulkern, C. D. Robson, S. E. Maier, M. J. Rivkin, and A. J. d. Plessis MR Line-Scan Diffusion-Weighted Imaging of Term Neonates with Perinatal Brain Ischemia AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., October 1, 1999; 20(9): 1658 - 1670. [Abstract] [Full Text]
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