Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 3.0 Tesla Detects More Lesions in Acute Optic Neuritis Than at 1.5 Tesla

Abstract

The MRI protocol at 3.0 T was more sensitive to hyperintense brain lesions in ON than the standard MRI protocol at 1.5 T.

A systematic review of the utility of 1.5 versus 3 Tesla magnetic resonance brain imaging in clinical practice and research

“…There was no evidence that higher field strengths led to an earlier diagnosis of definite MS in patients with a clinically isolated syndrome [54] and no reliable data on whether there were more false positive diagnoses at 3 T as only 20 healthy volunteers were included [54]. There was no difference in inter-rater reliability between field strengths [53].…”

“…Differences in numbers of enhancing lesions seen at 3 vs. 1.5 T were inconsistent, including 7.5 % [33] and 21 % [29] in two studies, but only 0.5/patient overall (P 0 NS) [53]. Few patients (2.8 % [32] to 3.6 % [53]) showed lesion enhancement only at 3 T. Suggested increases in lesion conspicuity on fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) or T2-weighted imaging at 3 T ranged from 13 to 30 [34,36] (average difference 3.9 %) [53].…”

“…Few patients (2.8 % [32] to 3.6 % [53]) showed lesion enhancement only at 3 T. Suggested increases in lesion conspicuity on fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) or T2-weighted imaging at 3 T ranged from 13 to 30 [34,36] (average difference 3.9 %) [53]. Differences in lesion enhancement and volume were inconsistent [32,53] and potentially confounded by differences in sequences [34]. Most lesions missed at 1.5 T were very small (1-5 mm [34]) or in the immediate periventricular tissue [34,36].…”

Comparison of Spin-Echo T1- and T2-Weighted and Gradient-Echo T1-Weighted Images at 3T in Evaluating Very Preterm Neonates at Term-Equivalent Age

“…First, the use of a 3T field strength likely played a role, in which there is theoretically a 3-fold increase in SNR from 1T that augments the visualization of abnormalities on SE-T2WI. [11][12][13][14] Second, SE-T2WI at 3T may display greater background white matter hyperintensity in premature patients, thus creating greater contrast of certain structures to background white matter. Third, the difference in rates of myelination detection between SE-T2WI and GRE-T1WI is slight and could even be accounted for by interobserver differences.…”

High field MRI in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis: high field–high yield?

“…The first evidence that the new high field MRI generation provides higher lesion load measurements in MS patients was brought up by an intraindividual comparative study between 1.5 and 4 T. Keiper et al showed a 45% increase of T2 lesions using a 4-T compared to a 1.5-T scanner [25]. This higher sensitivity in the detection of focal MS lesions and/or lesion volumes could be conclusively confirmed by the subsequent studies comparing field strengths between 1.5 and 3 T including a total number 115 patients scanned with MRI scanners of three different vendors [26][27][28][29]. The increase in lesion numbers on T2/fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images ranged from 13% to 41.6%.…”