title: Comparison of fat-saturation fast spin echo versus conventional spin-echo MRI in the detection of rotator cuff pathology.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of fat-saturation fast-spin-echo (FSE) T2-weighted (T2W) sequences with conventional spin-echo (CSE) T2W sequences in the detection of rotator cuff pathology using surgery as the reference standard. Oblique coronal dual-echo CSE and FSE T2W images with fat saturation from 50 surgically confirmed MR shoulder examinations were acquired on a 1.5-T MR scanner. Blinded MR readers retrospectively analyzed each imaging sequence separately and ultimately correlated both sequences together with findings at surgery. FSE was 100% sensitive and 94% specific in detection of full-thickness tears (n = 19) and 73% sensitive and 97% specific in the detection of partial-thickness rotator cuff tears (n = 13). There was no statistically significant difference in the performance of FSE with fat saturation compared with CSE. The two discrepancies between imaging sequences related to the extent of partial-thickness tears. Our findings suggest that fat-saturation FSE imaging can effectively replace CSE imaging in the evaluation of rotator cuff pathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Memortal Regional Hospital, Hollywood, FL 33332, USA.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Needell
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Zlatkin
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity