[Evaluation of TSE- and T1-3D-GRE-sequences for focal cartilage lesions in vitro in comparison to ultrahigh resolution multi-slice CT].
OBJECTIVE
Evaluation of TSE- and T 1 -3D-GRE-sequences for focal cartilage lesions in vitro in comparison to ultrahigh resolution multi-slice CT.


METHODS
Forty artificial cartilage lesions in ten bovine patellae were immersed in a solution of iodinated contrast medium and assessed with ultrahigh resolution multi-slice CT. Fat-suppressed TSE images with intermediate- and T 2 -weighting at a slice thickness of 2, 3 and 4 mm as well as fat-suppressed T 1 -weighted 3D-FLASH images with an effective slice thickness of 1, 2 and 3 mm were acquired at 1.5 T. After adding Gd-DTPA to the saline solution containing the patellae, the T 1 -weighted 3D-FLASH imaging was repeated.


RESULTS
All cartilage lesions were visualised and graded with ultrahigh resolution multi-slice CT. The TSE images had a higher sensitivity and a higher inter- and intraobserver kappa compared to the FLASH-sequences (TSE: 70 - 95 %; 0.82 - 0.83; 0.85 - 0.9; FLASH: 57.5 - 85 %; 0.53 - 0.72; 0.73 - 0.82, respectively). An increase in slice thickness decreased the sensitivity, whereby deep lesions were even reliably depicted on TSE images at a slice thickness of 3 and 4 mm. Adding Gd-DTPA to the saline solution increased the sensitivity by 10 % with no detectable advantage over the T 2 -weighted TSE images.


CONCLUSIONS
TSE sequences and application of Gd-DTPA seemed to be superior to T 1 -weighted 3D-FLASH sequences without Gd-DTPA in the detection of focal cartilage lesions. The ultrahigh resolution multi-slice CT can serve as in vitro reference standard for focal cartilage lesions.
Stork
A
A
Abteilung für Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Germany. astork@uke.uni-hamburg.de
Schulze
D
D
Schoder
V
V
Koops
A
A
Kemper
J
J
Adam
G
G
D000818:Animals; D002357:Cartilage Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology*; D002417:Cattle; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010329:Patella; D012015:Reference Standards; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D019786:Gadolinium DTPA