title: 3D-DIR for early differential diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of NMO.
abstract: Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an acute or subacute lesion of demyelinating disease involving the optic nerve and spinal cord, and imaging techniques and their effects have been the focus of investigations. The aim of the present study was to examine the value of three-dimensional double inversion recovery (3D-DIR) in the early differential diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of NMO. Forty-eight patients with suspicious NMO were included into the study and underwent a combination of serum NMO-IgG quantitative detection and 3D-DIR examination. Forty cases (83.3%) of the suspicious cases were confirmed with NMO. The average time from onset to definite diagnosis was 3.5±0.6 days. The brain showed high T2W and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) signals, involving 5.8±1.2 sites on average, distributed in the peripheral lateral ventricle, medulla, cerebral white matter, the third ventricle, peripheral aqueduct of sylvius, pons and diencephalon. The average T2W signal strength was 2.73±0.12. The signal intensity of DIR was significantly higher than that of T2W and FLAIR, and the difference was statistically significant. The optic nerve and chiasma showed a high FLAIR signal, with an average signal intensity of 2.13±0.14. The spinal cord showed swelling, necrosis and cavity lesion, involving the gray and white matter of the central site, transversely, with an average lesion length of 4.7±0.6 centrum. The relative signal intensity of DIR was significantly higher than that of T2W and FLAIR. Following treatment, the signal intensity of the brain, optic nerve, optic chiasma and spinal cord decreased significantly (P<0.05). In conclusion, 3D-DIR has great application value in the early differential diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of NMO.
authors: Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China; Department of Radiology, Rizhao People's Hospital, Rizhao, Shandong 276826, P.R. China.
authors: Yanbing
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Radiology, Rizhao People's Hospital, Rizhao, Shandong 276826, P.R. China.
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: Yan
authors: Department of Radiology, Rizhao People's Hospital, Rizhao, Shandong 276826, P.R. China.
authors: Qixing
authors: Q
authors: Ding
authors: The Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China.
authors: Cunhua
authors: C
authors: Mao
authors: Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China.
authors: Yelong
authors: Y
authors: Shen
authors: Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China.
authors: Guangbin
authors: G
authors: Wang
keywords: neuromyelitis optica; signal intensity; three-dimensional double inversion recovery