PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - A.H. Aiken
AU  - P. Mukherjee
AU  - A.J. Green
AU  - C.M. Glastonbury
TI  - MR Imaging of Optic Neuropathy with Extended Echo-Train Acquisition Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery
AID  - 10.3174/ajnr.A2391
DP  - 2011 Feb 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 301--305
VI  - 32
IP  - 2
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/32/2/301.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/32/2/301.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.2011 Feb 01; 32
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: XETA, also known as Cube, is a relatively new 3D FSE sequence that can be used to perform whole-brain FLAIR T2-weighted imaging at isotropic high spatial resolution. This high-resolution volumetric imaging, coupled with both fat and fluid suppression, permits ideal evaluation of optic nerve anatomy and signal intensity; therefore, we hypothesized that XETA FLAIR would be useful for the detection of T2 signal-intensity abnormality in the optic nerve. Our purpose was to evaluate the sensitivity of XETA FLAIR for this abnormality and to compare it with the coronal FSE T2 FS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After obtaining approval of the institutional review board, 2 CAQ neuroradiologists retrospectively reviewed all patients with a clinical diagnosis of optic neuropathy who had undergone XETA FLAIR and standard orbital imaging from September 2006 to February 2009. Fifteen patients met these criteria and underwent the following sequences: XETA FLAIR, coronal FSE T2 FS, and T1-weighted postgadolinium sequences with FS. RESULTS: Signal-intensity abnormality was identified on the correct side of the patient's vision loss in all 15 patients on XETA but in only 11/15 patients on the coronal FSE T2-weighted imaging. Reviewer 1 perceived the signal-intensity abnormality better on the XETA versus T2-weighted imaging in 10/15 patients, and reviewer 2, in 9/15 patients. Neither reviewer visualized any of the imaging better by using the conventional coronal FSE T2 FS sequence. CONCLUSIONS: XETA FLAIR was more sensitive than coronal FSE T2 FS for identifying abnormal signal intensity within the optic nerves in patients with optic neuropathy. CAQCertificate of Added QualificationCorcoronalETLecho train lengthFLAIRfluid-attenuated inversion recoveryFSfat suppressionFSEfast spin-echoMSmultiple sclerosisPGpostgadoliniumR1reviewer 1R2reviewer 2STIRshort tau inversion recoverySPIRselective partial inversion recoveryT1WT1-weighted imagingT2WT2-weighted imagingVEPvisual-evoked potentialsXETAextended echo-train acquisition