Purpose: To evaluate diagnostic reliability and to establish optimal scanning techniques of a recently developed Fast Spin-echo MR pulse sequence that allows rapid proton density-weighted and T2-weighted imaging.
Methods: We compared lesion conspicuity and signal intensity measurements on Fast Spin-echo and conventional spin-echo sequences in 81 patients ranging from 1 week to 25 years in age on a 1.5-T MR unit. A total of 28 Fast Spin-echo dual-echo images (14 slice locations) were obtained in 2:08 minutes with a 256 x 128 matrix or in 3:12 minutes with a 256 x 192 matrix at a TR of 2000 msec and two excitations.
Results: Lesion conspicuity and characterization on Fast Spin-echo images compared favorably with conventional spin-echo images in our series when pseudo-TEs of 15 and 90 msec were employed for proton density-weighted and T2-weighted images, respectively. Fast Spin-echo images yielded diagnostic information in four nonsedated patients whose conventional spin-echo images were either degraded by motion or unobtainable. Fat signal remained bright on T2-weighted Fast Spin-echo images. Magnetic-susceptibility effects were slightly reduced with Fast Spin-echo but did not pose any diagnostic problem in our series.
Conclusion: Diagnostically reliable rapid dual-echo brain images can be obtained with Fast Spin-echo sequences.