Magnetic resonance imaging at 3.0 tesla detects more lesions in acute optic neuritis than at 1.5 tesla.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to assess whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3.0 T detects more brain lesions in acute optic neuritis (ON) than MRI at 1.5 T.


METHODS
Twenty-eight patients with acute ON were scanned at both field-strengths using fast-fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), proton density and T2-weighted turbo spin echo, and T1-weighted spin echo after contrast. In addition, magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo (MPRAGE) was obtained after contrast at 3.0 T. Lesion number and volumes were assessed by an observer blind to patient identity and field strength.


RESULTS
Scans at 3.0 T showed a significantly increase in number of lesions detected on FLAIR images (P = 0.002) relative to scanning at 1.5 T. MPRAGE proved to be suitable for detecting enhancing lesions in ON.


CONCLUSIONS
The MRI protocol at 3.0 T was more sensitive to hyperintense brain lesions in ON than the standard MRI protocol at 1.5 T.
Nielsen
Kirsten
K
Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark. kirstenn@magnet.drcmr.dk
Rostrup
Egill
E
Frederiksen
Jette L
JL
Knudsen
Stine
S
Mathiesen
Henrik K
HK
Hanson
Lars G
LG
Paulson
Olaf B
OB
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D003287:Contrast Media; D005682:Gadolinium