Radiology Clinic Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Diagn Interv Radiol. 2011 Mar;17(1):3-9. doi: 10.4261/1305-3825.DIR.2744-09.3. Epub 2010 Jun 26.
To assess the most effective magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence for the visualization of the 9th, 10th, and 11th cranial nerves (glossopharyngeal, vagus, and accessory nerves, respectively) in their intraforaminal/canalicular courses.
Balanced fast-field echo (b-FFE), 3D-T2W DRIVE, T2W 2D TSE and post-contrast T1W MRI sequences were all applied and we tried to get the best sequence for the exact assessment of the 9th, 10th, and 11th cranial nerves. Six hundred nerves of 100 patients without symptoms of neurovascular compression were examined using the above sequences. Imaging analysis was graded as: a) nerves analyzed by certainty (score of 2), b) nerves analyzed partially (score of 1), and c) nerves not identified (score of 0).
In all three nerves, the best sequence for the visualization of the cisternal and intraforaminal course was b-FFE, with 58%, 73%, 62%, and all together 64.3% success in showing the fascicles of the 9th-11th nerves. This sequence with a very short time of repetition, symmetrical and balanced gradient around the echo time allowed very fast imaging and a high signal to noise ratio. T2W TSE sequence was superior to the DRIVE T2W sequence in assessing the cisternal and intraforaminal part of all three nerves. Post-contrast T1W sequence was probably the worst sequence in showing all three nerves.
b-FFE gradient echo MRI sequence with high spatial resolution is the optimal sequence for determining the courses of 9th-11th cranial nerves.
评估最有效的磁共振成像（MRI）序列，以可视化第 9、10 和 11 颅神经（分别为舌咽神经、迷走神经和副神经）在其椎间孔/管内的行程。
我们应用了平衡快速场回波（b-FFE）、3D-T2W DRIVE、T2W 2D TSE 和对比后 T1W MRI 序列，并尝试获得最佳序列，以准确评估第 9、10 和 11 颅神经。我们使用上述序列检查了 100 名无颅神经血管压迫症状患者的 600 根神经。影像学分析评分为：a）通过确定性分析神经（评分为 2），b）部分分析神经（评分为 1），c）无法识别神经（评分为 0）。
在所有三条神经中，显示神经纤维束的最佳序列是 b-FFE，成功率分别为 58%、73%、62%和总共 64.3%，用于显示第 9-11 颅神经的脑池和椎间孔内行程。该序列重复时间非常短，回波时间周围的梯度对称且平衡，可实现快速成像和高信噪比。T2W TSE 序列在评估所有三条神经的脑池和椎间孔内部分方面优于 DRIVE T2W 序列。对比后 T1W 序列可能是显示所有三条神经中最差的序列。
具有高空间分辨率的 b-FFE 梯度回波 MRI 序列是确定第 9-11 颅神经行程的最佳序列。
