Darryl B Sneag1, Steve P Daniels2, Christian Geannette3, Sophie C Queler3, Bin Q Lin3, Chinthaka de Silva3, Ek Tsoon Tan3. 1. Hospital for Special Surgery, Department of Radiology and Imaging, 535 East 70th Street, New York, NY, 10021, United States. Electronic address: sneagd@hss.edu. 2. University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Radiology, 600 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53792, United States. 3. Hospital for Special Surgery, Department of Radiology and Imaging, 535 East 70th Street, New York, NY, 10021, United States.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To compare 3.0 Tesla brachial plexus three-dimensional (3D) T2-weighted short tau inversion recovery fast spin echo (STIR-FSE) MRI sequences before (pre-contrast STIR) and after (post-contrast STIR) administration of gadolinium intravenous contrast. METHOD: Eighteen patients were included. Each patient was imaged before and after intravenous contrast administration during the same session. 3D STIR-FSE sequences were obtained at 3.0 Tesla using two 16-channel flexible coils positioned over the lower neck and chest wall region. Three musculoskeletal radiologists qualitatively assessed degree of vascular signal suppression, visualization of the axillary, musculocutaneous, and suprascapular nerves, diagnostic confidence in nerve evaluation, and lesion conspicuity. Marginal ordinal logistic regression models were used to compare subjective ratings between sequences. Pre- and post-STIR lesion conspicuity was compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Inter- and intra-observer agreements were assessed using Gwet's agreement coefficient. RESULTS: Vascular signal suppression significantly improved following contrast administration (odds ratio, OR = 209.9, 95% confidence interval, CI: 21.0-2094.6, p < .001). The post-contrast STIR technique significantly improved nerve visualization (OR = 8.4, 95% CI: 3.6-19.9, p < .001) and diagnostic confidence in evaluation (OR = 13.2, 95% CI: 4.8-36.0, p < .001) across all nerve segments. Post-contrast STIR improved lesion conspicuity by 1 point, but statistical significance was not reached (Reader 1: p = 0.5, Reader 2: p = 0.063). Post-contrast STIR imaging demonstrated substantial to near-perfect inter- and intra-rater agreement coefficients for both nerve visualization (inter-rater: 0.74-1.0, intra-rater: 0.94-1.0) and diagnostic confidence (inter-rater: 0.79-1.0, intra-rater: 0.94-1.0). Quantitatively, post-contrast STIR demonstrated a 24% increase in mean C6 nerve-to-muscle signal intensity ratio (p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Post-contrast STIR improved nerve-to-muscle contrast ratio, allowing for enhanced visualization and diagnostic confidence in evaluation of branch nerves of the brachial plexus.
PURPOSE: To compare 3.0 Tesla brachial plexus three-dimensional (3D) T2-weighted short tau inversion recovery fast spin echo (STIR-FSE) MRI sequences before (pre-contrast STIR) and after (post-contrast STIR) administration of gadolinium intravenous contrast. METHOD: Eighteen patients were included. Each patient was imaged before and after intravenous contrast administration during the same session. 3D STIR-FSE sequences were obtained at 3.0 Tesla using two 16-channel flexible coils positioned over the lower neck and chest wall region. Three musculoskeletal radiologists qualitatively assessed degree of vascular signal suppression, visualization of the axillary, musculocutaneous, and suprascapular nerves, diagnostic confidence in nerve evaluation, and lesion conspicuity. Marginal ordinal logistic regression models were used to compare subjective ratings between sequences. Pre- and post-STIR lesion conspicuity was compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Inter- and intra-observer agreements were assessed using Gwet's agreement coefficient. RESULTS: Vascular signal suppression significantly improved following contrast administration (odds ratio, OR = 209.9, 95% confidence interval, CI: 21.0-2094.6, p < .001). The post-contrast STIR technique significantly improved nerve visualization (OR = 8.4, 95% CI: 3.6-19.9, p < .001) and diagnostic confidence in evaluation (OR = 13.2, 95% CI: 4.8-36.0, p < .001) across all nerve segments. Post-contrast STIR improved lesion conspicuity by 1 point, but statistical significance was not reached (Reader 1: p = 0.5, Reader 2: p = 0.063). Post-contrast STIR imaging demonstrated substantial to near-perfect inter- and intra-rater agreement coefficients for both nerve visualization (inter-rater: 0.74-1.0, intra-rater: 0.94-1.0) and diagnostic confidence (inter-rater: 0.79-1.0, intra-rater: 0.94-1.0). Quantitatively, post-contrast STIR demonstrated a 24% increase in mean C6 nerve-to-muscle signal intensity ratio (p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Post-contrast STIR improved nerve-to-muscle contrast ratio, allowing for enhanced visualization and diagnostic confidence in evaluation of branch nerves of the brachial plexus.
Authors: Ibrahim Ibrahim; Antonín Škoch; Vít Herynek; Ivan Humhej; Jan Beran; Vlasta Flusserová; Eva Rolencová; Martina Juhaňáková; Michal Brzák; Markéta Nagy; Jaroslav Tintěra Journal: Quant Imaging Med Surg Date: 2022-09