MR Diagnosis of Facial Neuritis: Diagnostic Performance of Contrast-Enhanced 3D-FLAIR Technique Compared with Contrast-Enhanced 3D-T1-Fast-Field Echo with Fat Suppression

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Current MRI with the CE T1-weighted sequence plays a limited role in the evaluation of facial neuritis due to prominent normal facial nerve enhancement. Our purpose was to retrospectively investigate the usefulness of the CE 3D-FLAIR sequence compared with the CE 3D-T1-FFE sequence in facial neuritis patients.

The clinical significance of findings obtained on 3D‐FLAIR MR imaging in patients with Ramsay‐Hunt syndrome

“…Three‐dimensional‐fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery (3D‐FLAIR) MR imaging has recently been used to reveal subtle changes in the cranial nerve or IE due to its sensitivity for detecting high protein concentration and abnormal contrast enhancement, compared to conventional T1WI. However, the imaging findings of 3D‐FLAIR MR imaging of RHS have rarely been reported, whereas the diagnostic advantages of 3D‐FLAIR MR in patients with idiopathic facial palsy have recently been published . Therefore, the purpose of our study is to evaluate the imaging findings of RHS on pre‐/postcontrast 3D‐FLAIR MRI and to correlate the 3D‐FLAIR MR findings with the symptom severity and clinical outcome in patients with RHS.…”

Better continuity of the facial nerve demonstrated in the temporal bone on three‐dimensional T1‐weighted imaging with volume isotropic turbo spin echo acquisition than that with fast field echo at 3.0 tesla MRI

“…T1‐VISTA has a greater contrast‐to‐noise ratio than 3D T1‐FLAIR at 3.0T MRI . VISTA used as a VISTA‐FLAIR sequence is superior to 3D T1‐FFE to improve the diagnostic performance of MR imaging in patients with facial nerve palsy …”

“…T1-FFE is a commonly used GRE sequence for 3D-T1WI to assess the facial nerve. 4,5 Other GRE sequences, including magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition of gradient echo (MPRAGE) and fast spoiled gradient recall acquisition in steady state (FSPGR), are used to detect metastatic brain tumours. 10 However, at 3.0T MRI the Grade 0: no detection, Grade 1: partly detected, Grade 2: continuously detected.…”

“…The signal intensity of normal and pathological facial nerves has been evaluated on MRI after gadolinium (Gd)‐enhancement with various pulse sequences . 3D T1‐weighted imaging (3D‐T1WI) is now widely used for imaging and evaluation of the facial nerve at 1.5T MRI and 3.0T MRI …”

“…1-6 3D T1-weighted imaging (3D-T1WI) is now widely used for imaging and evaluation of the facial nerve at 1.5T MRI 3 and 3.0T MRI. 2,4,5 The signal to noise ratio (SNR) is higher with 3.0T MRI compared to 1.5T MRI, but the magnetic susceptibility artefacts are also greater and may affect the visibility of the facial nerve in the temporal bone as a continuous anatomical structure. With 3D T2-weighted fast imaging on 3.0T MRI, the detectability of the cranial nerve in the internal auditory canal is somewhat higher using driven equilibrium (DRIVE), which is a spin-echo (SE) sequence, compared to that obtained using balanced fast field echo (bFFE), which is a gradient-echo (GRE) sequence with a high sensitivity to magnetic susceptibility artefacts.…”