Brain lesions in patients with multiple sclerosis: detection with echo-planar imaging.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the detection of brain lesions with echo-planar imaging relative to conventional spin-echo (SE) imaging.


METHODS
In 17 patients (three men, 14 women; mean age, 31 years) with multiple sclerosis, the following were compared: single-shot proton-density- and T2-weighted and thin-section T2-weighted echo-planar, proton-density- and T2-weighted multishot echo-planar, and conventional SE sequences. Quantitative and qualitative criteria as well as lesion detectability were evaluated. The proton-density-weighted SE sequence was used as the standard of reference.


RESULTS
Multishot sequences were superior to single-shot sequences in image quality and lesion detectability. With the multishot proton-density-weighted sequence, 53 of 54 large lesions and 23 of 30 small lesions were detected; with the single-shot proton-density-weighted sequence, 38 of 54 large lesions and five of 30 small lesions were detected.


CONCLUSIONS
With multishot echo-planar sequences, detectability of large lesions is similar to that with conventional SE imaging. Susceptibility artifact is diminished in comparison to single-shot echo-planar sequences.
Siewert
B
B
Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Patel
M R
MR
Mueller
M F
MF
Gaa
J
J
Darby
D G
DG
Poser
C M
CM
Wielopolski
P A
PA
Edelman
R R
RR
Warach
S
S
D000328:Adult; D016477:Artifacts; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D002526:Cerebellar Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted