- Sensitivity of the Inhomogeneous Magnetization Transfer Imaging Technique to Spinal Cord Damage in Multiple Sclerosis
Anatomic images covering the cervical spinal cord from the C1 to C6 levels and DTI, magnetization transfer/inhomogeneous magnetization transfer images at the C2/C5 levels were acquired in 19 patients with MS and 19 paired healthy controls. Anatomic images were segmented in spinal cord GM and WM, both manually and using the AMU40 atlases. MS lesions were manually delineated. MR imaging metrics were analyzed within normal-appearing and lesion regions in anterolateral and posterolateral WM and compared using Wilcoxon rank tests and z scores. The use of a multiparametric MR imaging protocol combined with an automatic template-based GM/WM segmentation approach in the current study outlined a higher sensitivity of the ihMT technique toward spinal cord pathophysiologic changes in MS compared with atrophy measurements, DTI, and conventional MT. The authors also conclude that the clinical correlations between ihMTR and functional impairment observed in patients with MS also argue for its potential clinical relevance, paving the way for future longitudinal multicentric clinical trials in MS.
- Comparison of Enhancement of the Vestibular Perilymph between Variable and Constant Flip Angle–Delayed 3D-FLAIR Sequences in Menière Disease
The authors compared the degree of perilymphatic enhancement and the detection rate of endolymphatic hydrops using constant and variable flip angle sequences in 16 patients with 3T MR imaging. Both for symptomatic and asymptomatic ears, the median signal intensity ratio was significantly higher with the constant flip angle than with the heavily-T2 variable flip angle. Cochlear blood-labyrinth barrier impairment was observed in 4/18 symptomatic ears with the heavily-T2 variable flip angle versus 8/19 with constant flip angle sequences. They conclude that 3D-FLAIR constant flip angle sequences provide a higher signal intensity ratio and are superior to heavily-T2 variable flip angle sequences in reliably evaluating the cochlear blood-labyrinth barrier impairment.
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