SPAMM, cine phase contrast imaging and fast spin-echo T2-weighted imaging in the study of intracranial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the qualitative assessment of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow using a SPAMM (spatial modulation of magnetization) technique with cine phase contrast images (cine PC) and fast spin echo (FSE) T2-weighted images.


METHODS
SPAMM, PC and T2-weighted sequences were performed on 22 occasions in 19 patients. Eleven of the studies were performed following a neuroendoscopic third ventriculostomy (NTV), and in these cases, the success of the NTV was determined by clinical follow-up. Two observers used consensus to grade the presence of CSF flow at nine different sites for each study.


RESULTS
At 14 of the 178 matched sites, which could be assessed by both SPAMM and cine PC, SPAMM CSF flow grade was higher than that of cine PC. At a further 14/178 matched sites, the cine PC grade was higher than that of SPAMM. There was definite CSF flow at 113/182 (62%) of all the cine PC sites assessed, and 110/181 (61%) of all SPAMM sites assessed whilst 108/198 (54%) of FSE T2-weighted image sites demonstrated flow voids. Cine PC grades were higher than SPAMM at the cerebral aqueduct (P < 0.05, Wilcoxon sign rank test). Definite CSF flow within the anterior third ventricle was present in 4/5 (SPAMM) and 3/5 (cine PC) successful NTVs, 0/2 (SPAMM and cine PC) unsuccessful NTVs and 1/10 (SPAMM and cine PC) patients without NTV.


CONCLUSIONS
SPAMM provides a comparable assessment of intracranial CSF flow to that of cine phase contrast imaging at all CSF sites except the cerebral aqueduct.
Connor
S E
SE
Department of Neuroradiology, King's College Hospital, London.
O'Gorman
R
R
Summers
P
P
Simmons
A
A
Moore
E M
EM
Chandler
C
C
Jarosz
J M
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014696:Ventriculostomy