Pre- and postcontrast FLAIR MR imaging in the diagnosis of intracranial meningeal pathology.
OBJECTIVE
Few reports address the use of fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) images of the brain in the diagnosis of extraaxial lesions. Our purpose was to assess the value of FLAIR images, including postcontrast ones, in the diagnosis of intracranial meningeal diseases.


METHODS
We reviewed precontrast (n=24) and postcontrast (n=20) FLAIR images obtained from 25 patients with infectious meningitis (n=13), carcinomatous meningitis or dissemination of primary brain tumor (n=7), dural metastasis (n=3), and others (n=2) in comparison with fast spin-echo T2-weighted and postcontrast T1-weighted images.


RESULTS
In lesion detectability, precontrast FLAIR images were significantly superior to fast spin-echo T2-weighted images but inferior to postcontrast T1-weighted images. There was no significant difference between postcontrast T1-weighted and FLAIR images.


CONCLUSIONS
Precontrast FLAIR images can substitute for conventional fast spin-echo T2-weighted images. Postcontrast FLAIR images have diagnostic potential equivalent to conventional postcontrast T1-weighted images.
Tsuchiya
K
K
Department of Radiology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan.
Katase
S
S
Yoshino
A
A
Hachiya
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008581:Meningitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis; D008587:Meningitis, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis