J Korean Soc Magn Reson Med.  2012 Apr;16(1):25-30. 10.13104/jksmrm.2012.16.1.25.

Enhancement Pattern of the Normal Facial Nerve on Three - Dimensional (3D) - Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) Sequence at 3.0 T MR Units

• Hyun D
• Lim HK
• Park JW
• Kim JL
• Lee HY
• Park S
• Ahn JH
• Baek JH
• Choi CG
• Lee JH

• KMID: 2099834
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.13104/jksmrm.2012.16.1.25

Abstract

PURPOSE
To compare the enhancement pattern of normal facial nerves on 3D-FLAIR and 3D-T1-FFE-F) sequences at 3.0 T MR units.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We assessed 20 consecutive subjects without a history of facial nerve abnormalities who underwent temporal bone MRI with contrast enhancement between January 2008 and March 2009. Two neuroradiologists independently reviewed pre-/post-enhanced 3D-T1-FFE-FS and 3D-FLAIR images respectively with 2-week interval to assess the enhancement of normal facial nerves divided into five anatomical segments. The degree of enhancement in each segment was graded as none, mild or strong, and the results of 3D-FLAIR and 3D-T1-FFE-FS image sets were compared.
RESULTS
On 3D-FLAIR images, one of the two reviewers observed mild enhancement of the genu segment in two (10%) subjects. On 3D-T1-FFE-FS images, at least one segment of the facial nerve was enhanced in 13 (65%) subjects. At least one reviewer found that 17 of the 100 segments showed enhancement on 3D-T1-FFE-FS images, with the mastoid segment being the most commonly enhanced. Interobserver agreement on 3D-T1-FFE-FS images was good for enhancement of the normal facial nerve (kappa= 0.589).
CONCLUSION
In contrast to 3D-T1-FFE-FS, normal facial nerve segments rarely showed enhancement on 3D-FLAIR images.

Keyword

Temporal bone; Facial nerve; 3D-FLAIR; Enhancement

MeSH Terms

Facial Nerve
Mastoid
Temporal Bone

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