Multi-shot echo-planar Flair imaging of brain tumors: comparison of spin-echo T1-weighted, fast spin-echo T2-weighted, and fast spin-echo Flair imaging.
Multi-shot echo-planar fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (EPI-Flair) was compared with spin-echo T1-weighted (SE-T1W), fast SE T2-weighted (FSE-T2W), and fast Flair (F-Flair) in imaging brain tumors. In 32 patients with various different brain tumors, three reviewers independently evaluated image quality. Two reviewers evaluated the image quality of precontrast EPI-Flair to be significantly better than that of precontrast SE-T1W. Two reviewers evaluated the image quality of postcontrast EPI-Flair as superior to that of postcontrast SE-T1W. Artifacts on postcontrast EPI-Flair were significantly more prominent than those on postcontrast F-Flair. Multi-shot EPI-Flair appeared to be superior to SE-T1W, and almost equivalent to FSE-T2W in terms of image quality.
Tomura
Noriaki
N
Department of Radiology, Akita University School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Hondo, Akita City, 010-8543, Akita, Japan. tomura@med.akita-u.ac.jp
Kato
Koki
K
Takahashi
Satoshi
S
Sashi
Ryuji
R
Izumi
Jun-ichi
J
Narita
Komei
K
Watarai
Jiro
J
D000368:Aged; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018306:Neurocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies