FAST SPIN-ECHO MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING - CLINICAL-APPLICATION IN SCREENING FOR ACOUSTIC NEUROMA

The advent of magnetic resonance imaging has greatly improved our abil ity to diagnose acoustic tumors, but it is a relatively expensive imag ing modality, In the present climate of medical cost restraints, metho ds that reduce costs but maintain quality are extremely desirable, We report a new magnetic resonance imaging technique that uses fast spin echo without gadolinium. It provides ultrahigh-resolution images of th e internal auditory canal and cerebellopontine angle. The sensitivity of this technique for the detection of acoustic tumors is equivalent t o conventional gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, but the global cost is comparable with that of brain stem audiometry. In our practice fast spin echo magnetic resonance imaging has replaced brain stem audiometry as a screening modality to evaluate most acoustic tumo r suspects. Also, the intricate detail of the internal auditory canal anatomy provided by this technique is useful in planning surgical remo val of acoustic tumors.