[Kinematic MRI using short TR single shot fast spin echo (SSFSE) in evaluating swallowing].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the utility of short TR single shot fast spin echo (SSFSE) MR imaging for evaluating swallowing.


METHODS
Five healthy volunteers underwent kinematic MR imaging of swallowing with a 1.5T MR scanner using the short TR (300 ms) SSFSE sequence. Twenty phases of sagittal sections were acquired within 6 sec, where the temporal resolution was 300 ms. For oral contrast medium, we used prune yogurt juice with Fe added.


RESULTS
The image contrast of short TR SSFSE was found to be somewhere like that of T1-weighted images. In all cases, both the buccal and pharyngeal stages of swallowing were successfully depicted. The Fe-added prune yogurt juice performed as a positive contrast medium and helped determine anatomical structures in the buccal stage.


CONCLUSIONS
Short TR (300 ms) SSFSE was useful in evaluating swallowing. The combined use of Fe-added prune yogurt juice was helpful in enhancing the surface of the oropharynx.
Isogai
S
S
Department of Radiology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine.
Takehara
Y
Y
Isoda
H
H
Kodaira
N
N
Masunaga
H
H
Ozawa
F
F
Nozaki
A
A
Kabasawa
H
H
Kaneko
M
M
D003287:Contrast Media; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media; D007501:Iron