Accuracy of Postcontrast 3D Turbo Spin-Echo MR Sequence for the Detection of Enhanced Inflammatory Lesions in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

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Fig 1.
Postcontrast T1-weighted 2D SE (A) and a 4-mm-thick axial reformatted view of the 3D TSE (B) images of patient 5 with MS and an aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery. High-signal-intensity artifacts related to vascular pulsation are observed beside the aneurysm (A, arrows) by using axial 2D SE images, while these artifacts are not visible on 3D TSE images (B, arrowhead). Similar differences can be noted between the 2 postcontrast sequences within the brain sinuses. Indeed, while the 2D SE sequence is still influenced by blood flow effects, a black-blood effect is induced by the long echo-trains used with the 3D TSE sequence (B, arrowhead). This technical aspect may also partly explain the improved diagnostic performance observed with the 3D TSE sequence.
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Fig 2.
Postcontrast T1-weighted 2D SE (A) and 4-mm-thick axial reformatted views of the 3D TSE (B) images of patient 24 with MS. An active enhanced MS lesion is detected within the left frontal white matter by using both axial 2D SE images (A, arrow) and a 4-mm-thick axial reformatted view of the 3D TSE sequence (B, arrow). Due to improved image contrast, an additional lesion involving the precentral sulcus is visible by using the 3D TSE sequence (B, arrowhead).

Parameters for all sequences

Parameter	3D DIR	2D FLAIR	2D T1 SE	3D T1 TSE
TR (ms)	5500	11,000	600–700	400
TE (ms)	251	125	10	26
TI (ms)	625–2600	2800	N/A	N/A
Echo-train length	173	31	N/A	30
No. of sections/slab	300	31	36	267
Section thickness (mm)	1.3	5	4	1.2 (reformat 4)
Matrix size	208 × 208	276 × 126	232 × 165	256 × 215
Voxel size (mm)	1.2 × 1.2 × 1.3	0.85 × 1.42 × 5	1 × 1.10 × 4	1 × 1.10 × 1.2 (reformat 1 × 1.10 × 4)
FOV (mm)	250 × 250	230 × 176	230 × 182	250 × 237
Acquisition plane	Sagittal	Axial	Axial	Sagittal
Acquisition time	6 min 30 sec	2 min 56 sec	3 min 30 sec	5 min 30 sec

Note:—N/A indicates not applicable; No. of sections, number of sections acquired; reformat, 4-mm-thick axial reformatted views of the 3D T1 TSE sequence; 2D, T1 SE images and 4-mm-thick axial reformatted views of the 3D T1 TSE sequence with the same voxel size.