Csf‐suppressed t2‐weighted threel‐dimensional mp‐rage MR imaging

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) is a pulse sequence used for acquiring T2-weighted images of the brain and spine in which the normally high signal intensity of CSF is greatly attenuated. The CSF-sup pressed T2-weighted contrast of this technique may be more sensitive to a variety of disorders than that of conventional Tz-weighted imaging. The primary disadvantage associated with conventional spin-echo implementations of FLAIR is the relatively limited anatomic coverage that can be achieved in a reasonable imaging time. We developed and optimized a three-dimensional magnetization-prepared rapid gradient-echo (3D MP-RAGE) pulse sequence that combines CSF-suppressed T2-weighted contrast similar to exleting FLAIR techniques with anatomic coverage characteristic of 3D imaging. A preliminary evaluation of the new sequence was performed by imaging healthy volunteers and patients with multiple sclerosis.