MRI OF THE INTRACEREBRAL LESIONS AT 0.5 TESLA - COMPARISON OF FAST SPIN-ECHO AND CONVENTIONAL SPIN-ECHO SEQUENCES

Fast spin-echo sequences was compared with conventional spin-echo sequ ences at 0.5 Tesla, in 130 patients who attended for routine brain MRI . Artefacts and contrast behaviour of anatomical structures and lesion s were assessed visually and quantitatively by contrast-to-noise ratio s. The difference between conventional spin-echo and fast spin-echo in contrast in intracerebral tumors and infarcts was not found to be sig nificant statistically. Small amounts of haemosiderin and calcificatio ns could not be seen on fast spin-echo images especially in T2 weighte d. Flow artefacts were considerably reduced on fast spin-echo images. Motion artefact was considerably increased on dual-echo fast spin-echo sequences. There were no statistical differences between the results of the visual findings and between those of CNR values except for cont rast between CSF and white matter and between haemoatoma and backgroun d in T2 sequences. Our results suggest that by virtue of the shorter a cquisition time, diagnostic reliability and reduced flow artefact sing le-echo FSE sequences should be preferred to dual-echo CSE sequences i n routine brain MRI at 0.5 Tesla. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.