[The reduction of ferromagnetic artifacts by using a fast-spin-echo sequence in the postoperative assessment of degenerative diseases of the cervical spine].

This study was aimed at investigating if fast spin echo (FSE) pulse sequences can increase the diagnostic capabilities of MRI in the patients with degenerative disease of the postoperative cervical spine, considering their lower magnetic susceptibility than that of conventional spin echo (SE) sequences. The patient population consisted of 15 patients submitted to diskectomy after Cloward and Caspar. MR images were acquired with a 1.5-T unit (Signa, General Electric) with T2-weighted FSE versus conventional T1- and T2-weighted SE images. Thanks to fewer metallic artifacts, FSE images of the postoperative cervical spine yielded more pieces of information than conventional SE sequences in demonstrating the spine and its content. The best results were obtained in the patients with canal stenosis (8 patients) and myelomalacia (2 patients). In addition, the myelographic effect, another major semiologic feature of the FSE technique, provided further diagnostic information in these patients. Moreover, shorter examination times resulted in better patients tolerance, especially in those with recent surgery. Finally, reducing motion, blood flow or CSF flow artifacts definitely improved FSE image quality.