Nontraumatic pediatric musculoskeletal MR imaging: comparison of conventional and fast-spin-echo short inversion time inversion-recovery technique.
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.
Weinberger
E
E
Department of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.
Shaw
D W
DW
White
K S
KS
Winters
W D
WD
Stark
J E
JE
Nazar-Stewart
V
V
Hinks
R S
RS
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