Improved contrast of enhancing brain lesions using contrast-enhanced T1-weighted fast spin-echo MR imaging.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of T1-weighted fast spin-echo MR sequences to provide improved contrast-to-noise ratios for contrast-enhanced lesions during acquisition times shorter than those used for conventional T1-weighted spin-echo MR sequences.


METHODS
We compared contrast-to-noise ratios of 32 enhancing brain lesions in 25 patients on T1-weighted spin-echo (546/10 [TR/TE]; two excitations; acquisition time, 4 min 12 sec) and on fast spin-echo (546/10 [TR/effective TE]; echo-train length, 4; echo spacing, 10 msec; two excitations; acquisition time, 1 min 45 sec) MR images obtained at 1.5 T after i.v. administration of 0.10 mmol/kg gadopentetate dimeglumine.


RESULTS
The contrast-enhanced T1-weighted fast spin-echo MR images showed approximately a 12% reduction in the signal-to-noise ratios of the background white matter without an accompanying reduction in the signal-to-noise ratios of the enhancing lesions or CSF when compared with the contrast-enhanced T1-weighted spin-echo MR images. The contrast-enhanced T1-weighted fast spin-echo MR images provided a 23% improvement in the contrast-to-noise ratios of enhancing lesions over the contrast-enhanced T1-weighted spin-echo images (p < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
Contrast-enhanced T1-weighted fast spin-echo MR imaging showed a statistically significant improvement in contrast-to-noise ratios at much shorter scan times than those used in conventional contrast-enhanced T1-weighted spin-echo MR imaging.
Melhem
E R
ER
Department of Radiology, Boston University Medical Center, MA 02118, USA.
Guidone
P L
PL
Jara
H
H
Yucel
E K
EK
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged