Fast magnetic resonance imaging in spinal trauma.
In a prospective comparison between fast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences and conventional spin-echo in a series of 20 patients, gradient-echo imaging was found to be inferior to spin-echo, especially in the visualization of spinal cord oedema, and the use of a rapid spin-echo sequence was limited by inferior visualization of haemorrhage. While the use of a combination of these two fast imaging techniques resulted in equivalent results to conventional spin-echo, the increased imaging time suggests that fast MRI cannot, as yet, replace conventional spin-echo techniques in acute spinal trauma.
Silberstein
M
M
University of Melbourne Department of Radiology, Western Hospital, Footscray, Victoria, Australia.
McLean
K
K
D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries; D004487:Edema / Q000175:diagnosis; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D017846:Longitudinal Ligaments / Q000293:injuries; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000175:diagnosis; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000175:diagnosis