title: Diagnostic performance of heavily T2-weighted techniques in obstructive hydrocephalus: comparison study of two different 3D heavily T2-weighted and conventional T2-weighted sequences.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate efficacy of three-dimensional (3D) heavily T2-weighted (W) MRI sequences in assessment of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pathways and to compare two different types of 3D heavily T2W MRI sequences (CISS and SPACE) with two-dimensional (2D) T2W turbo spin echo (TSE) sequences for hydrocephalus with intraventricular obstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-two patients who were diagnosed with intraventricular obstructive hydrocephalus, according to clinical and radiological findings, were included in this retrospective study. 2D-TSE-T2, 3D-CISS, and 3D-SPACE, which are part of the protocol, were analyzed quantitatively by measuring ventricle-to-parenchyma contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and qualitatively by evaluating the capabilities of visualization of the obstructive pathology, overall image quality, severity of artifacts, and delineation of the CSF pathways. One-way ANOVA and Friedman's test were used for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CNR between CSF and brain parenchyma was significantly higher using 3D-SPACE sequences compared with 3D-CISS and 2D-TSE-T2 sequences. The qualitative findings showed that 3D heavily T2W sequences were superior to 2D-TSE-T2 sequences. 3D-SPACE sequences showed fewer artifacts than 3D-CISS or 2D-TSE-T2 sequences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  3D heavily T2W sequences are necessary tools for assessment of CSF pathways in patients with intraventricular obstructive hydrocephalus. 3D-SPACE sequences allowed heavy T2W, which is necessary for CSF flow imaging and provided significantly fewer image artifacts and improved CNR in comparison with 3D-CISS sequences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Gazi University, 06510 Besevler, Ankara, Turkey, drucar@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ucar
authors.forename: Nil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tokgoz
authors.forename: Cagri
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Damar
authors.forename: Ayse Gul
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Alimli
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oncu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016477:Artifacts; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult