Francesca Granata1, Rosa Morabito2, Enricomaria Mormina3, Concetta Alafaci4, Silvia Marino5, Angela Laganà6, Sergio Lucio Vinci7, Marilena Briguglio8, Alessandro Calamuneri9, Michele Gaeta10, Vincenzo Salpietro11, Marcello Longo12. 1. Neuroradiology Unit-Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: effegranata@alice.it. 2. Neuroradiology Unit-Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy; Biomedical department of internal and specialistic medicine, University of Palermo, Italy. Electronic address: rosa.morabito85@hotmail.it. 3. Neuroradiology Unit-Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: enricomaria.mormina@gmail.com. 4. Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatric and Anaesthesiological Sciences, Neurosurgery Unit, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: calafaci@unime.it. 5. IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino-Pulejo, Messina, Italy. Electronic address: silvimarino@gmail.com. 6. Department of Neurosciences, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: alagana@unime.it. 7. Neuroradiology Unit-Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: svinci@unime.it. 8. Department of Pediatric, Gynecological, Microbiological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: marilena.briguglio@libero.it. 9. Department of Neurosciences, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: alecalamuneri@gmail.com. 10. Neuroradiology Unit-Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: mgaeta@unime.it. 11. Department of Pediatric, Gynecological, Microbiological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: salpietroenzo@yahoo.it. 12. Neuroradiology Unit-Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Italy. Electronic address: longomar@tin.it.
Abstract
PURPOSE: The aim of this work was to investigate the diagnostic value of the DIR sequence at 3T MR imaging operating in the evaluation of cortical development anomalies. METHODS: We studied 40 patients, with a previous diagnosis of cortical dysplasia, by FLAIR-3D, DIR, FSE T2 and MPR-GE T1 sequences at 3T MRI. Two independent observers evaluated, for each sequence and lesion, some semiological aspects (cortical thickness, cortical signal intensity, white-gray matter blurring, subcortical white matter intensity). We made also a quantitative evaluation of the cortical signal intensity in lesion site, drawing a ROI on each MRI sequences and comparing them to the correspondent normal contralateral cortical area. RESULTS: We identified 44 cortical development anomalies. Qualitative analyses showed a high level of agreement between the observers concerning DIR potentialities in detecting and characterizing the cortical development disorders. Particularly DIR sequence was able to demonstrate the blurring and the subcortical white matter anomalies. The quantitative analyses didn't show a significant difference between DIR and traditional sequences in the evaluation of the cortical signal intensity. CONCLUSION: 3T MRI-DIR sequence is a useful and better suitable sequence compared to the traditional sequences in the characterization of some semiological aspects of the cortical development disorders, particularly blurring and subcortical white matter hyperintensity.
PURPOSE: The aim of this work was to investigate the diagnostic value of the DIR sequence at 3T MR imaging operating in the evaluation of cortical development anomalies. METHODS: We studied 40 patients, with a previous diagnosis of cortical dysplasia, by FLAIR-3D, DIR, FSE T2 and MPR-GE T1 sequences at 3T MRI. Two independent observers evaluated, for each sequence and lesion, some semiological aspects (cortical thickness, cortical signal intensity, white-gray matter blurring, subcortical white matter intensity). We made also a quantitative evaluation of the cortical signal intensity in lesion site, drawing a ROI on each MRI sequences and comparing them to the correspondent normal contralateral cortical area. RESULTS: We identified 44 cortical development anomalies. Qualitative analyses showed a high level of agreement between the observers concerning DIR potentialities in detecting and characterizing the cortical development disorders. Particularly DIR sequence was able to demonstrate the blurring and the subcortical white matter anomalies. The quantitative analyses didn't show a significant difference between DIR and traditional sequences in the evaluation of the cortical signal intensity. CONCLUSION: 3T MRI-DIR sequence is a useful and better suitable sequence compared to the traditional sequences in the characterization of some semiological aspects of the cortical development disorders, particularly blurring and subcortical white matter hyperintensity.