RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Quantitative Evaluation and Visualization of Lumbar Foraminal Nerve Root Entrapment by Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging: Preliminary Results
JF American Journal of Neuroradiology
JO Am. J. Neuroradiol.
FD American Society of Neuroradiology
SP 1824
OP 1829
DO 10.3174/ajnr.A2681
VO 32
IS 10
A1 Y. Eguchi
A1 S. Ohtori
A1 S. Orita
A1 H. Kamoda
A1 G. Arai
A1 T. Ishikawa
A1 M. Miyagi
A1 G. Inoue
A1 M. Suzuki
A1 Y. Masuda
A1 H. Andou
A1 M. Takaso
A1 Y. Aoki
A1 T. Toyone
A1 A. Watanabe
A1 K. Takahashi
YR 2011
UL http://www.ajnr.org/content/32/10/1824.abstract
AB BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: DTI can provide valuable structural information that may become an innovative tool in evaluating lumbar foraminal nerve root entrapment. The purpose of this study was to visualize the lumbar nerve roots and to measure their FA in healthy volunteers and patients with lumbar foraminal stenosis by using DTI and tractography with 3T MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight patients with lumbar foraminal stenosis and 8 healthy volunteers underwent 3T MR imaging. In all subjects, DTI was performed with echo-planar imaging at a b-value of 800 s/mm2 and the lumbar nerve roots were visualized with tractography. Mean FA values in the lumbar nerve roots were quantified on DTI images. RESULTS: In all subjects, the lumbar nerve roots were clearly visualized with tractography. In all patients, tractography also showed abnormalities such as tract disruption, nerve narrowing, and indentation in their course through the foramen. Mean FA values were significantly lower in entrapped roots than in intact roots. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that DTI and tractography of human lumbar nerves can visualize and quantitatively evaluate lumbar nerve entrapment with foraminal stenosis. We believe that DWI is a potential tool for the diagnosis of lumbar nerve entrapment. FAfractional anisotropyMPGmotion probing gradientVASvisual analog scale