title: Nontraumatic pediatric musculoskeletal MR imaging: comparison of conventional and fast-spin-echo short inversion time inversion-recovery technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare conventional short inversion time inversion-recovery (STIR) with fast spin-echo (FSE) STIR techniques to evaluate suspected nontraumatic musculoskeletal abnormalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty STIR and FSE-STIR examinations in 26 pediatric patients with suspected nontraumatic musculoskeletal abnormalities were prospectively evaluated. Qualitative (subjective) and quantitative (five-point rank score) analyses of the images were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FSE-STIR was faster than STIR (mean, 2 minutes 25 seconds and 6 minutes 35 seconds, respectively). Fat suppression was slightly better with STIR. Image degradation due to motion was judged similar. Lesion contrast to muscle was slightly better with STIR than FSE-STIR, and lesion contrast to fat was equivalent. Qualitatively, lesion conspicuity was similar: All lesions were seen with both techniques.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FSE-STIR can replace STIR when an inversion-recovery fat-suppression sequence is desired. Considerable imaging time is saved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weinberger
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Winters
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nazar-Stewart
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Hinks
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016477:Artifacts; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013997:Time Factors