Use of Contrast‐Enhanced Fluid‐Attenuated Inversion Recovery Sequence to Detect Brain Lesions in Dogs and Cats

Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine

K. Merhof¹  J. Lang¹  S. Dürr²  C. Stahl¹ 

[1] Division of Clinical Radiology, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse-Faculty Bern, Bern, Switzerland;Division of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

关键词: Contrast enhancement;    Intracranial lesions;    Magnetic resonance imaging;   

DOI  :  10.1111/jvim.12384

来源: Wiley

【 摘 要 】

Abstract

Background

The diagnostic value of a contrast-enhanced T2-weighted FLAIR sequence (ceFLAIR) in brain imaging is unclear.

Hypothesis/Objectives

That the number of brain lesions detected with ceFLAIR would be no greater than the sum of lesions detected with nFLAIR and ceT1W sequence.

Animals

One hundred and twenty-nine animals (108 dogs and 21 cats) undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head between July 2010 and October 2011 were included in the study.

Methods

A transverse ceFLAIR was added to a standard brain MRI protocol. Presence and number of lesions were determined based on all available MRI sequences by 3 examiners in consensus and lesion visibility was evaluated for nFLAIR, ceFLAIR, and ceT1W sequences.

Results

Eighty-three lesions (58 intra-axial and 25 extra-axial) were identified in 51 patients. Five lesions were detected with nFLAIR alone, 2 with ceT1W alone, and 1 with ceFLAIR alone. Significantly higher numbers of lesions were detected using ceFLAIR than nFLAIR (76 versus 67 lesions; P = 0.04), in particular for lesions also detected with ceT1W images (53 versus 40; P =.01). There was no significant difference between the number of lesions detected with combined nFLAIR and ceT1W sequences compared to those detected with ceFLAIR (82 versus 76; P =.25).

Conclusion and Clinical Importance

Use of ceFLAIR as a complementary sequence to nFLAIR and ceT1W sequences did not improve the detection of brain lesions and cannot be recommended as part of a routine brain MRI protocol in dogs and cats with suspected brain lesions.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2014 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine