Abstract
Because of the need for a standardized and accurate method for detecting multiple sclerosis (MS) inflammatory activity, different magnetic resonance (MR) acquisitions should be compared in order to choose the most sensitive sequence for clinical routine. To compare the sensitivity of a T1-weighted image to a single dose of gadolinium (Gd) administration both with and without magnetization transfer to detect contrast enhancement in active demyelinating focal lesions. A sample of relapsing-remitting MS patients were prospectively examined separately by two neuroradiologists using a 1.5 Tesla scanner. The outcome parameters were focused on Gd-enhancement detection attributed to acute demyelination. All MR examinations with at least one Gd-enhancing lesion were considered positive (MR+) and each lesion was analyzed according to its size and contrast ratio. Thirty-six MR examinations were analyzed with a high inter-observer agreement for MR+ detection (k coefficient > 0.8), which was excellent for the number of Gd-enhancing lesions (0.91 T1 spin-echo (SE), 0.88 T1 magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) sequence and 0.99 magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition with gradient-echo (MPRAGE). Significantly more MR+ were reported on the T1 MTC scans, followed by the T1 SE, and MPRAGE scans. Confidently, the T1 MTC sequence demonstrated higher accuracy in the detection of Gd-enhancing lesions, followed by the T1 SE and MPRAGE sequences. Further comparisons showed that there was a statistically significant increase in the contrast ratio and area of Gd-enhancement on the T1 MTC images when compared with both the SE and MPRAGE images. Single-dose Gd T1 MTC sequence was confirmed to be the most sensitive acquisition for predicting inflammatory active lesions using a 1.5 T magnet in this sample of MS patients.
Highlights
Because of the need for a standardized and accurate method for detecting multiple sclerosis (MS) inflammatory activity, different magnetic resonance (MR) acquisitions should be compared in order to choose the most sensitive sequence for clinical routine
The number of MR+ of both T1 SE and T1 magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) demonstrated statistically significant differences compared with 3D-MPRAGE (p < 0.05; Fisher’s)
All comparisons related to the number of lesions demonstrated statistically significance differences, except for the number of lesions between T1 SE and T1 MTC (p = 0.096, Wilcoxon)
Summary
Because of the need for a standardized and accurate method for detecting multiple sclerosis (MS) inflammatory activity, different magnetic resonance (MR) acquisitions should be compared in order to choose the most sensitive sequence for clinical routine. Objective: To compare the sensitivity of a T1-weighted image to a single dose of gadolinium (Gd) administration both with and without magnetization transfer to detect contrast enhancement in active demyelinating focal lesions. Conclusion: Single-dose Gd T1 MTC sequence was confirmed to be the most sensitive acquisition for predicting inflammatory active lesions using a 1.5 T magnet in this sample of MS patients. De forma análoga, a sequência T1 MTC demonstrou maior acurácia na detecção de lesões com impregnação pelo Gd, seguida pelas sequências T1 SE e MPRAGE. Conclusão: A sequência T1 MTC com uma única dose de Gd confirmou ser a sequência mais sensível em demonstrar lesões inflamatórias agudas em equipamento de 1,5 T nessa coorte de pacientes com EM. All these alternatives increase both costs and/or timing, in addition to the risks of using an exogenous substance such as Gd10
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