Nontraumatic pediatric musculoskeletal MR imaging: comparison of conventional and fast-spin-echo short inversion time inversion-recovery technique.

PURPOSE

To compare conventional short inversion time inversion-recovery (STIR) with fast spin-echo (FSE) STIR techniques to evaluate suspected nontraumatic musculoskeletal abnormalities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty STIR and FSE-STIR examinations in 26 pediatric patients with suspected nontraumatic musculoskeletal abnormalities were prospectively evaluated. Qualitative (subjective) and quantitative (five-point rank score) analyses of the images were performed.

RESULTS

FSE-STIR was faster than STIR (mean, 2 minutes 25 seconds and 6 minutes 35 seconds, respectively). Fat suppression was slightly better with STIR. Image degradation due to motion was judged similar. Lesion contrast to muscle was slightly better with STIR than FSE-STIR, and lesion contrast to fat was equivalent. Qualitatively, lesion conspicuity was similar: All lesions were seen with both techniques.

CONCLUSION

FSE-STIR can replace STIR when an inversion-recovery fat-suppression sequence is desired. Considerable imaging time is saved.