title: Visualization of the trochlear nerve in the cistern with use of high-resolution turbo spin-echo multisection motion-sensitized driven equilibrium.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The trochlear nerve is so thin that it is rarely observed with MR imaging. Therefore, we used high-resolution MSDE to reliably visualize the cisternal segments of the trochlear nerve.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 10 healthy young adults (mean age, 24 years), and 20 trochlear nerves were examined. HR-MRC, BS-MRC, and HR-MSDE were performed. A neuroradiologist judged the visibility of the trochlear nerves as 1 of 4 grades ("Excellent," "Good," "Fair," and "Not") in each MR imaging sequence. The findings were then statistically analyzed with the χ(2) test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of all 20 trochlear nerves, 6 with HR-MRC, 13 with BS-MRC, and 18 with HR-MSDE were judged as "Excellent." CSF flow-related artifacts and vessels in the cistern and cerebellar tentorium in HR-MRC tended to prevent the neuroradiologists from identifying the trochlear nerve. Vessels in the cistern and cerebellar tentorium in BS-MRC also tended to prevent the neuroradiologists from identifying the trochlear nerve. Compared with other sequences, HR-MSDE visualized the trochlear nerve more often. The χ(2) test revealed statistically significant differences among the 3 MR imaging sequences (P < .01). The scan time of HR-MSDE was approximately 1.5-2.2 times longer than that of the other sequences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HR-MSDE is able to clearly visualize the trochlear nerve and has the same or better ability to delineate the trochlear nerve compared with other MR imaging sequences, though its long scan time does not yet yield practical use.
authors: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yamagata University Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan. mkanoto@med.id.yamagata-u.ac.jp
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Kanoto
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Toyoguchi
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Hosoya
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Oda
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Sugai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016477:Artifacts; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000502:physiology; D002946:Cisterna Magna / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003392:Cranial Sinuses / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods*; D015588:Observer Variation; D013997:Time Factors; D014321:Trochlear Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D055815:Young Adult
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