Proton Density MRI Increases Detection of Cervical Spinal Cord XXXX Lesions Compared with T2-Weighted Fast Spin-Echo.

@entity1 @entity602 @entity15 @entity75
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is a paucity of literature that supports the Consortium of @entity15 Centers guideline that proton density MR imaging is a core spinal cord sequence. We hypothesized that proton density fast spin-echo imaging is superior to T2 fast spin-echo MR imaging for the detection of cervical @entity602 . This study compared the detection rate and conspicuity of cervical @entity602 on sagittal 1.5T proton density fast spin-echo and T2 fast spin-echo MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred consecutive @entity1 with @entity15 imaged with 1.5T sagittal proton density fast spin-echo and T2 fast spin-echo cervical cord MR imaging between September 2012 and October 2013 were retrospectively included. The number of @entity75 detected on each sequence was recorded; conspicuity was assessed quantitatively with the lesion-to-cord contrast ratio and lesion-contrast-to-noise ratio. Statistical analysis was performed by using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: Seventy-eight @entity1 had @entity602 detected. Proton density fast spin-echo imaging detected a greater number of lesions (n = 181) compared with T2 fast spin-echo imaging (n = 137, P < .001). Fifteen @entity1 (19%) with abnormal findings on proton density fast spin-echo imaging had normal findings on T2 fast spin-echo imaging; no @entity1 with abnormal T2 fast spin-echo imaging findings had normal proton density fast spin-echo imaging findings. Although proton density fast spin-echo and T2 fast spin-echo imaging had similar lesion-to-cord contrast ratios (proton density fast spin-echo, 0.32    0.01, versus T2 fast spin-echo, 0.33    0.01; P = .43), proton density fast spin-echo had greater lesion-contrast-to-noise ratio (proton density fast spin-echo, 82    3.0, versus T2 fast spin-echo, 64    2.6; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Proton density fast spin-echo imaging is superior to T2 fast spin-echo MR imaging for the detection of cervical @entity602 . Proton density fast spin-echo detects @entity602 in @entity1 in whom T2 fast spin-echo findings appear normal. This study forms the evidentiary base for the current Consortium of @entity15 Centers guideline that proton density imaging is a core spinal cord sequence.
