Implementation of a 7T Epilepsy Task Force consensus imaging protocol for routine presurgical epilepsy work-up: effect on diagnostic yield and lesion delineation

• Published in: Journal of neurology Vol. 271; no. 2; pp. 804 - 818
• Main Authors: Hangel, Gilbert, Kasprian, Gregor, Chambers, Stefanie, Haider, Lukas, Lazen, Philipp, Koren, Johannes, Diehm, Robert, Moser, Katharina, Tomschik, Matthias, Wais, Jonathan, Winter, Fabian, Zeiser, Vitalij, Gruber, Stephan, Aull-Watschinger, Susanne, Traub-Weidinger, Tatjana, Baumgartner, Christoph, Feucht, Martha, Dorfer, Christian, Bogner, Wolfgang, Trattnig, Siegfried, Pataraia, Ekaterina, Roessler, Karl
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.02.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Consensus; Epilepsies, Partial - diagnostic imaging; Epilepsies, Partial - surgery; Epilepsy; Epilepsy - diagnostic imaging; Epilepsy - surgery; Humans; Lesions; Magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Original Communication; Task forces; White Matter - pathology; 7 T MRI; Ultra-high-field; Epilepsy; 7 T Epilepsy Task Force consensus recommendation
• ISSN: 0340-5354; 1432-1459
• DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11988-5

Objective Recently, the 7 Tesla (7 T) Epilepsy Task Force published recommendations for 7 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with pharmaco-resistant focal epilepsy in pre-surgical evaluation. The objective of this study was to implement and evaluate this consensus protocol with respect to both its practicability and its diagnostic value/potential lesion delineation surplus effect over 3 T MRI in the pre-surgical work-up of patients with pharmaco-resistant focal onset epilepsy. Methods The 7 T MRI protocol consisted of T1-weighted, T2-weighted, high-resolution-coronal T2-weighted, fluid-suppressed, fluid-and-white-matter-suppressed, and susceptibility-weighted imaging, with an overall duration of 50 min. Two neuroradiologists independently evaluated the ability of lesion identification, the detection confidence for these identified lesions, and the lesion border delineation at 7 T compared to 3 T MRI. Results Of 41 recruited patients > 12 years of age, 38 were successfully measured and analyzed. Mean detection confidence scores were non-significantly higher at 7 T (1.95 ± 0.84 out of 3 versus 1.64 ± 1.19 out of 3 at 3 T, p = 0.050). In 50% of epilepsy patients measured at 7 T, additional findings compared to 3 T MRI were observed. Furthermore, we found improved border delineation at 7 T in 88% of patients with 3 T-visible lesions. In 19% of 3 T MR-negative cases a new potential epileptogenic lesion was detected at 7 T. Conclusions The diagnostic yield was beneficial, but with 19% new 7 T over 3 T findings, not major. Our evaluation revealed epilepsy outcomes worse than ILAE Class 1 in two out of the four operated cases with new 7 T findings.