RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Fast Detection of Diffuse Axonal Damage in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: Comparison of Gradient-Recalled Echo and Turbo Proton Echo-Planar Spectroscopic Imaging MRI Sequences
JF American Journal of Neuroradiology
JO Am. J. Neuroradiol.
FD American Society of Neuroradiology
SP 1140
OP 1148
VO 26
IS 5
A1 Giugni, Elisabetta
A1 Sabatini, Umberto
A1 Hagberg, Gisela E.
A1 Formisano, Rita
A1 Castriota-Scanderbeg, Alessandro
YR 2005
UL http://www.ajnr.org/content/26/5/1140.abstract
AB BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is a common type of primary neuronal injury in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), and is frequently accompanied by tissue tear hemorrhage. T2‐weighted gradient-recalled echo (GRE) sequences are more sensitive than T2-weighted spin-echo images for detection of hemorrhage. The purpose of this study is to compare turbo Proton Echo Planar Spectroscopic Imaging (t-PEPSI), an extremely fast sequence, with GRE sequence in the detection of DAI.METHODS: Twenty-one patients (mean age 26.8 years) with severe TBI occurred at least 3 months earlier, underwent a brain MR Imaging study on a 1.5-T scanner. A qualitative evaluation of the t-PEPSI sequences was performed by identifying the optimal echo time and in-plane resolution. The number and size of DAI lesions, as well as the signal intensity contrast ratio (SI CR), were computed for each set of GRE and t-PEPSI images, and divided according to their anatomic location as lobar and/or deep brain.RESULTS: There was no significant difference between GRE and t-PEPSI sequences in the detection of the total number of DAI lesions (291 vs. 230, respectively). GRE sequence delineated a higher number of DAI in the temporal lobe compared to the t-PEPSI sequence (74 vs. 37, P < .004), while no differences were found for the other regions. The SI CR was significantly lower with the t-PEPSI than the GRE sequence (P < .00001).CONCLUSION: Owing to its very short scan time and high sensitivity to the hemorrhage foci, the t-PEPSI sequence may be used as an alternative to the GRE to assess brain DAI in severe TBI patients, especially if uncooperative and medically unstable.