title: 3T Double Inversion Recovery Magnetic Resonance Imaging: diagnostic advantages in the evaluation of cortical development anomalies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this work was to investigate the diagnostic value of the DIR sequence at 3T MR imaging operating in the evaluation of cortical development anomalies.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 40 patients, with a previous diagnosis of cortical dysplasia, by FLAIR-3D, DIR, FSE T2 and MPR-GE T1 sequences at 3T MRI. Two independent observers evaluated, for each sequence and lesion, some semiological aspects (cortical thickness, cortical signal intensity, white-gray matter blurring, subcortical white matter intensity). We made also a quantitative evaluation of the cortical signal intensity in lesion site, drawing a ROI on each MRI sequences and comparing them to the correspondent normal contralateral cortical area.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 44 cortical development anomalies. Qualitative analyses showed a high level of agreement between the observers concerning DIR potentialities in detecting and characterizing the cortical development disorders. Particularly DIR sequence was able to demonstrate the blurring and the subcortical white matter anomalies. The quantitative analyses didn't show a significant difference between DIR and traditional sequences in the evaluation of the cortical signal intensity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  3T MRI-DIR sequence is a useful and better suitable sequence compared to the traditional sequences in the characterization of some semiological aspects of the cortical development disorders, particularly blurring and subcortical white matter hyperintensity.
authors.affiliation: Neuroradiology Unit-Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: effegranata@alice.it.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Granata
authors.affiliation: Neuroradiology Unit-Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy; Biomedical department of internal and specialistic medicine, University of Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: rosa.morabito85@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morabito
authors.affiliation: Neuroradiology Unit-Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: enricomaria.mormina@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Enricomaria
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mormina
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatric and Anaesthesiological Sciences, Neurosurgery Unit, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: calafaci@unime.it.
authors.forename: Concetta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alafaci
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino-Pulejo, Messina, Italy. Electronic address: silvimarino@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: alagana@unime.it.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laganà
authors.affiliation: Neuroradiology Unit-Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: svinci@unime.it.
authors.forename: Sergio Lucio
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Vinci
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric, Gynecological, Microbiological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: marilena.briguglio@libero.it.
authors.forename: Marilena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Briguglio
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: alecalamuneri@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calamuneri
authors.affiliation: Neuroradiology Unit-Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: mgaeta@unime.it.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gaeta
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric, Gynecological, Microbiological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: salpietroenzo@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Salpietro
authors.affiliation: Neuroradiology Unit-Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: longomar@tin.it.
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Longo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D054220:Malformations of Cortical Development / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
keywords: Cortical dysplasia; DIR; Epilepsy; Polimicrogyria; Taylor; Tuberous sclerosis