[Diagnosis of acute subarachnoid hemorrhage at 1.5 Tesla using proton-density weighted FSE and MRI sequences].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate MR imaging at 1.5 Tesla in patients suffering from acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) using proton-density weighted (PDW) fast spin echo (FSE) and fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences.


METHODS
19 patients suffering from acute SAH as diagnosed by CT were studied 6 h to 3 days after hemorrhage. 10 patients without SAH were studied as a control group. The presence of subarachnoid blood as well as possible artifacts was recorded.


RESULTS
In all 19 patients subarachnoid hemorrhage was detected on both FLAIR and PDW images (100%). On the FLAIR images, the cerebral ventricles were partially obscured by flow artifacts in 7 of 19 patients, the basal cisterns in 6 of 19 patients. In 4 of these 13 regions blood was diagnosed on both PDW and CT images, while in the other 9 regions both PDW and CT were unremarkable.


CONCLUSIONS
The sensitivity of MRI at 1.5 Tesla in the diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage is comparable to CT. The combination of FLAIR and PDW FSE sequences helps to avoid false-positive results caused by flow artifacts.
Wiesmann
M
M
Abteilung für Neuroradiologie, Klinik Grosshadern der LMU München.
Mayer
T E
TE
Medele
R
R
Brückmann
H
H
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed