MR imaging detection of calcified intracranial lesions and differentiation from iron-laden lesions. |
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Authors: | S A Gronemeyer J W Langston S L Hanna J W Langston |
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Affiliation: | Department of Diagnostic Imaging, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105. |
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Abstract: | Magnetic susceptibility variation caused by calcium permits limited detection of intracranial calcifications and/or their distinction from iron-laden lesions with spin-echo or gradient-echo magnetic resonance (MR) techniques. The magnetic susceptibility sensitivity of phase imaging has been used to detect iron-laden lesions. A new approach that combines the magnetic susceptibility sensitivity of both gradient-echo and phase imaging to yield greater imaging sensitivity to calcium is presented. Two-dimensional fast low-angle shot (FLASH) gradient-echo imaging with phase image reconstruction (gradient-echo phase [GEP]) was used at 1.0 and 1.5 T. Twelve patients with computed tomography-proved calcified intracranial lesions (greater than or equal to 200 HU) and seven patients with iron-laden intracranial lesions having a characteristic appearance on T1- and T2-weighted and FLASH MR images were studied. The GEP imaging technique helped detect calcified intracranial lesions (greater than or equal to 200 HU) and helped distinguish them from iron-laden lesions. |
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Keywords: | Brain, calacification, 10.36, 10.81 Brain neoplasms, MR, 10.1214 Craniopharyngioma, 10.3611 Image processing Iron Medulloblastoma, 10.3637 Phase Imaging Tissue characterization |
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