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American Journal of Neuroradiology 24:648-651, April 2003
© 2003 American Society of Neuroradiology

BRAIN

T1-Weighted Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery at Low Field Strength: A Viable Alternative for T1-Weighted Intracranial Imaging

Masaaki Hori, Toshiyuki Okubo, Kazuhito Uozumi, Keiichi Ishigame, Hiroshi Kumagai and Tsutomu Araki

Address reprint requests to Masaaki Hori, M.D., Department of Radiology, Yamanashi Medical University, 1110 Shimokato, Tamaho-cho, Nakakoma-gun, Tamanashi, 409-3898, Japan

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: T1-weighted spin-echo imaging has been widely used to study anatomic detail and abnormalities of the brain; however, the image contrast of this technique is often poor, especially at low field strengths. We tested a new pulse sequence, T1-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), which provides good contrast between lesions, surrounding edematous tissue, and normal parenchyma at low field strengths and at acquisition times comparable to those of T1-weighted spin-echo imaging.

METHODS: Thirteen patients with brain lesions underwent T1-weighted spin-echo and T1-weighted FLAIR imaging during the same imaging session. T1-weighted spin-echo and T1-weighted FLAIR images were compared on the basis of four quantitative (lesion-white matter [WM] contrast-to-noise ratio [CNR], lesion-CSF CNR, gray matter-WM CNR, and WM-CSF CNR) and three qualitative criteria (conspicuousness of lesions, image artifacts, and overall image contrast).

RESULTS: CNRs obtained with T1-weighted FLAIR were comparable but statistically superior to those obtained with T1-weighted spin-echo imaging. In general, T1-weighted FLAIR and T1-weighted spin-echo imaging produced comparable image artifacts. Conspicuousness of lesions and the overall image contrast were judged to be superior on T1-weighted FLAIR images.

CONCLUSION: T1-weighted FLAIR imaging may be a valuable alternative to conventional T1-weighted imaging, because the former technique offers superior image contrast at low field strengths and comparable acquisition times.




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Copyright © 2009 by the American Society of Neuroradiology. Print ISSN: 0195-6108 Online ISSN: 1936-959X