title: Utility of the fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence in detecting a hyperintense putaminal rim in multiple system atrophy-parkinsonism: a preliminary study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the utility of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging for diagnosing multiple system atrophy-parkinsonism (MSA-P).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated 49 subjects (19 with MSA-P including 11 with early-stage disease, 15 with Parkinson's disease and 15 matched controls) in order to compare the diagnostic value of FLAIR imaging to detect a hyperintense putaminal rim (HPR) with that of T(2)-weighted (T2W) imaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with T2W imaging, FLAIR imaging detected HPR more conspicuously in the 19 MSA-P patients (p = 0.01); this trend was also observed in 11 early-stage MSA-P patients (p = 0.01). Furthermore, FLAIR imaging tended to increase sensitivity of detecting HPR compared with T2W imaging (all patients: 89 vs. 58%, p = 0.07; early-stage patients: 100 vs. 55%, p = 0.06).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FLAIR imaging might be more useful for detecting HPR in MSA-P patients, even though they are at an early stage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Nagoya, Japan. ksak666@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Keita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Takemori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamawaki
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okita
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsukawa
authors.forename: Takatsune
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muto
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hosono
authors.forename: Yuta
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shibamoto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019578:Multiple System Atrophy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011699:Putamen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D011859:Radiography; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric