Fast Field Echo Imaging and Dynamic Gadolinium-DTPA-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Vascular Malformations

Abstract

Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging detects many lesions of the central nervous system (CNS) with higher sensitivity than does X-ray CT. As MR imaging is able to show flow phenomena, this imaging modality may lead to virtually specific information on vascular malformations and thus may clearly differentiate tumors from vascular malformations, especially if fast field echo (FFE) imaging [10] is used. The introduction of gadolinium-DTPA (Gd-DTPA) improved the sensitivity of MR imaging, as focal blood-brain barrier defects can be evaluated by virtue of the decrease of the T1 relaxation time [1–4]. A further step to improve specificity of MR imaging was the application of dynamic Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging, as one may gain information on different tissue by observing signal intensity changes as related to time of measurement after Gd-DTPA injection [6]. The combination of FFE imaging and dynamic Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging may increase the information and thus may help to distinguish arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) from tumors. The following gives our preliminary results and opinions on the usefulness of these techniques in further characterizing vascular malformations of the CNS.