Nontraumatic pediatric musculoskeletal MR imaging: comparison of conventional and fast-spin-echo short inversion time inversion-recovery technique

• Published in: Radiology Vol. 194; no. 3; p. 721
• Main Authors: Weinberger, E, Shaw, D W, White, K S, Winters, W D, Stark, J E, Nazar-Stewart, V, Hinks, R S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.03.1995
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Bone Neoplasms - diagnosis; Child; Child, Preschool; Feasibility Studies; Female; Humans; Image Enhancement - methods; Infant; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Muscular Diseases - diagnosis; Prospective Studies; Soft Tissue Neoplasms - diagnosis; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0033-8419
• DOI: 10.1148/radiology.194.3.7862969

To compare conventional short inversion time inversion-recovery (STIR) with fast spin-echo (FSE) STIR techniques to evaluate suspected nontraumatic musculoskeletal abnormalities. Thirty STIR and FSE-STIR examinations in 26 pediatric patients with suspected nontraumatic musculoskeletal abnormalities were prospectively evaluated. Qualitative (subjective) and quantitative (five-point rank score) analyses of the images were performed. FSE-STIR was faster than STIR (mean, 2 minutes 25 seconds and 6 minutes 35 seconds, respectively). Fat suppression was slightly better with STIR. Image degradation due to motion was judged similar. Lesion contrast to muscle was slightly better with STIR than FSE-STIR, and lesion contrast to fat was equivalent. Qualitatively, lesion conspicuity was similar: All lesions were seen with both techniques. FSE-STIR can replace STIR when an inversion-recovery fat-suppression sequence is desired. Considerable imaging time is saved.