title: Evaluation of fat saturation and contrast enhancement on T1-weighted FLAIR sequence of the spine at 3.0 T.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate T1-weighted fast spin echo (FSE) and fast T1-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging, pre and post contrast administration, and assess the necessity of fat saturation regarding normal anatomical structures, degenerative and pathological vertebral body lesions of the spine at 3.0 T.
  
  
  METHODS
  Spine magnetic resonance imaging studies of 59 consecutive patients (31 females, 28 males), aged 33-81 years (mean age 53 years) were reviewed. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation was performed by comparing T1-FSE and fast T1-weighted FLAIR after administration of a gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agent (0.1 mmol/kg gadopentetate dimeglumine) with fat suppression (FS), detecting the sequence that provided better identification of the normal anatomical structures, as well as pathological findings. In a small sample of twelve patients, post-contrast T1-weighted images with and without FS were also included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On both quantitative and qualitative analysis between of T1-weighted FLAIR and T1-weighted FSE images, the FLAIR sequence with contrast administration and FS, demonstrated improved enhancement in all abnormalities, presented with minimal susceptibility artifacts, homogeneities in fat saturation for all FOV and minimal chemical shift artifacts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the results of our qualitative and quantitative assessment of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine at 3.0T we concluded that fast T1-weighted FLAIR images with intravenous (iv) Gd and FS were superior to T1-weighted FSE images with iv Gd and FS, with respect to identification of normal anatomical structures and pathology.
authors.affiliation: Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Radiology Department, Athens Greece.
authors.forename: Eleftherios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lavdas
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, University Hospital of Larissa, Medical School of Thessaly, Biopolis, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tsougos
authors.affiliation: Sotiria General Hospital, Athens Greece.
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arikidis
authors.affiliation: Farkadona, Medical Center, Trikala, Greece.
authors.forename: Violetta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Roka
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Larissa, Medical School of Thessaly, Biopolis, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Fezoulidis
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Larissa, Medical School of Thessaly, Biopolis, Greece. Electronic address: mvlychou@med.uth.gr.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vlychou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016477:Artifacts; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA
keywords: 3.0 T; FLAIR; MRI; Spine