Abstract
Aim To evaluate the diagnostic performance of susceptibility-weighted-magnetic-resonance imaging (SW-MRI) for the detection of vertebral haemangiomas (VHs) compared to T1/T2-weighted MRI sequences, radiographs, and computed tomography (CT). Materials and methods The study was approved by the local ethics review board. An SW-MRI sequence was added to the clinical spine imaging protocol. The image-based diagnosis of 56 VHs in 46 patients was established using T1/T2 MRI in combination with radiography/CT as the reference standard. VHs were assessed based on T1/T2-weighted MRI images alone and in combination with SW-MRI, while radiographs/CT images were excluded from the analysis. Results Fifty-one of 56 VHs could be identified on T1/T2 MRI images alone, if radiographs/CT images were excluded from analysis. In five cases (9.1%), additional radiographs/CT images were required for the imaging-based diagnosis. If T1/T2 and SW-MRI images were used in combination, all VHs could be diagnosed, without the need for radiography/CT. Size measurements revealed a close correlation between CT and SW-MRI (R2=0.94; p<0.05). Conclusions This study demonstrates that SW-MRI enables reliable detection of the typical calcified features of VHs. This is of importance for routine MRI of the spine, as the use of additional CT/radiography can be minimized.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 692.e1-692.e7 |
Journal | Clinical Radiology |
Volume | 72 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2017 |
Externally published | Yes |