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Comparison of magnetic resonance imaging sequences in dogs with multi‐focal intracranial disease
Author(s) -
Cherubini G. B.,
Platt S. R.,
Howson S.,
Baines E.,
Brodbelt D. C.,
Dennis R.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of small animal practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1748-5827
pISSN - 0022-4510
DOI - 10.1111/j.1748-5827.2008.00628.x
Subject(s) - fluid attenuated inversion recovery , medicine , confidence interval , magnetic resonance imaging , cerebrospinal fluid , nuclear medicine , radiology , pathology
O bjectives :To compare the value of different magnetic resonance sequences in the detection of brain lesions in dogs with multi‐focal intracranial neurolocalised lesions and abnormal cisternal cerebrospinal fluid analysis.M ethods :T2‐weighted, T1‐weighted, T1‐weighted‐Gd, FLAIR (fluid attenuated inversion recovery) images of 73 dogs with multi‐focal intracranial localised lesions were reviewed retrospectively. Control dogs (19) were selected on the basis of normal neurological examination, magnetic resonance images and cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Two board‐certified radiologists blindly reviewed the magnetic resonance images. Magnetic resonance sequence sensitivities were compared using the chi‐squared test and logistic regression, accounting for clustering at the patient level. Statistical significance was set at the 5 per cent level.R esults :The FLAIR sequence was found to have the highest sensitivity (84 per cent, 61 of 73), followed by T2‐weighted (63 per cent, 46 of 73), T1‐weighted postcontrast (62 per cent, 45 of 73) and T1‐weighted (23 per cent, 17 of 73) (P<0·001). FLAIR images were 106·1 times (95 per cent confidence interval 25·2 to 447·5) more likely to correctly identify cerebrospinal fluid‐positive patients than T1‐weighted, 6·4 times (95 per cent confidence interval 2·2 to 18·2) than T1‐weighted postcontrast and 5·8 times (95 per cent confidence interval 2·0 to 16·4) than T2‐weighted. FLAIR identified 14 per cent of cases that were classified as normal based on the three others sequences.C linical S ignificance :Routine use of FLAIR sequence should be encouraged in dogs undergoing a brain magnetic resonance imaging and probably more specifically in cases of suspected inflammatory brain disease.