Radiology, Vol 192, 123-127, Copyright © 1994 by Radiological Society of North America
Diagnosis of mesial temporal sclerosis with conventional versus fast spin-echo MR imaging
CR Jack Jr, KN Krecke, PH Luetmer, GD Cascino, FW Sharbrough, PC O'Brien and JE Parisi
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905.
PURPOSE: To test the accuracy of fast spin-echo (FSE) imaging versus that
of double-echo conventional spin-echo (CSE) imaging in identification of
the increased hippocampal signal intensity associated with mesial temporal
sclerosis (MTS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty- four subjects who
subsequently underwent anterior temporal lobectomy for intractable seizures
and in whom the presence or absence of MTS was ascertained with certainty
were imaged with CSE and FSE. Three blinded reviewers evaluated the first
and second CSE images (CSE1 and CSE2) and the FSE images. RESULTS: CSE1
imaging had lower accuracy than FSE (P = .038) and CSE2 (P = .006) imaging.
CSE2 imaging was slightly more accurate than FSE imaging (P = .048).
Contrast-to-noise ratios were lower for CSE1 imaging than for CSE2 or FSE
imaging (P < .001). CONCLUSION: The FSE sequence evaluated was more time
efficient than CSE imaging but slightly less accurate. Therefore,
substitution of this sequence for a CSE sequence seems unwarranted.
