title: Long echo time STIR sequence MRI of optic nerves in optic neuritis.
abstract: MRI of the optic nerves was obtained in 13 patients with acute optic neuritis and 13 with a previous optic neuritis (ON), assessed by clinical features, visual fields and visual evoked potentials. Results of the conventional short tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequence obtained with a short echo time (STE-STIR; 22 ms) were compared with those of a long echo time (LTE-STIR: 80 ms) sequence. The conventional STE-STIR sequence revealed lesions in the optic nerves in 78.5% of acute and 58.8% of previous ON. The LTE-STIR sequence showed abnormalities in 92.8% of acutely symptomatic nerves and 94.1% of nerves with previous ON. The optic nerve lesions appeared significantly longer with the LTE-STIR sequence than with the conventional STE-STIR sequences, in both acute and previous ON.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, State University of Chieti, Ospedale ex-Pediatrico, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onofrj
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tartaro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gambi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fulgente
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Delli Pizzi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonomo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000473:pathology*; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity