BACKGROUND: Assessment of small brain lesions in children is often compromised by pulsation, flow or movement artefacts. MRI with a rotating blade-like k-space covering (BLADE, PROPELLER) can compensate for these artefacts. OBJECTIVE: We compared T2-weighted FLAIR images that were acquired with different k-space trajectories (conventional Cartesian and BLADE) to evaluate the impact of BLADE technique on the delineation of small or low-contrast brain lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subject group comprised 26 children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF 1), who had been routinely scanned at 1.5 T for optic pathway gliomas with both techniques and who had the typical hyperintense brain lesions seen in NF 1. Four experienced radiologists retrospectively compared unlabelled 4-mm axial images with respect to the presence of artefacts, visibility of lesions, quality of contour and contrast. RESULTS: Both techniques were comparable in depicting hyperintense lesions as small as 2 mm independent of contrast and edge definition. Pulsation and movement artefacts were significantly less common with BLADE k-space trajectory. In 7 of 26 patients (27%), lesions and artefacts were rated as indistinguishable in conventional FLAIR, but not in BLADE FLAIR images. CONCLUSION: BLADE imaging significantly improved the depiction of lesions in T2-W FLAIR images due to artefact reduction especially in the posterior fossa.
BACKGROUND: Assessment of small brain lesions in children is often compromised by pulsation, flow or movement artefacts. MRI with a rotating blade-like k-space covering (BLADE, PROPELLER) can compensate for these artefacts. OBJECTIVE: We compared T2-weighted FLAIR images that were acquired with different k-space trajectories (conventional Cartesian and BLADE) to evaluate the impact of BLADE technique on the delineation of small or low-contrast brain lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subject group comprised 26 children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF 1), who had been routinely scanned at 1.5 T for optic pathway gliomas with both techniques and who had the typical hyperintense brain lesions seen in NF 1. Four experienced radiologists retrospectively compared unlabelled 4-mm axial images with respect to the presence of artefacts, visibility of lesions, quality of contour and contrast. RESULTS: Both techniques were comparable in depicting hyperintense lesions as small as 2 mm independent of contrast and edge definition. Pulsation and movement artefacts were significantly less common with BLADE k-space trajectory. In 7 of 26 patients (27%), lesions and artefacts were rated as indistinguishable in conventional FLAIR, but not in BLADE FLAIR images. CONCLUSION: BLADE imaging significantly improved the depiction of lesions in T2-W FLAIR images due to artefact reduction especially in the posterior fossa.
Authors: Bernd J Wintersperger; Val M Runge; Jonmenjoy Biswas; C Brett Nelson; Alto Stemmer; Alexander B Simonetta; Maximilian F Reiser; L G Naul; Stefan O Schoenberg Journal: Invest Radiol Date: 2006-07 Impact factor: 6.016
Authors: A Ba-Ssalamaha; S Schick; K Heimberger; K F Linnau; N Schibany; R Prokesch; S Trattnig Journal: Magn Reson Imaging Date: 2000-04 Impact factor: 2.546
Authors: Andrea K Penzkofer; Thomas Pfluger; Yvonne Pochmann; Oliver Meissner; Gerda Leinsinger Journal: AJR Am J Roentgenol Date: 2002-08 Impact factor: 3.959
Authors: Kirsten P Forbes; James G Pipe; John P Karis; Victoria Farthing; Joseph E Heiserman Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 2003-05 Impact factor: 3.825
Authors: E Nyberg; G S Sandhu; J Jesberger; K A Blackham; D P Hsu; M A Griswold; J L Sunshine Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 2011-11-17 Impact factor: 3.825