Contrast enhancement in cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy: a comparison of T1 TSE and MPRAGE sequences

Purpose To compare conventional T1 TSE with MPRAGE for enhancement detection in cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD). Materials and methods Contrast-enhanced T1 TSE and MPRAGE sequences of 34 CALD patients demonstrating enhancement were evaluated. Contrast ratios were calculated by drawing ROIs to the most enhancing part of demyelination and normal-appearing deep white matter on both T1 TSE and MPRAGE. A comparison was performed between ratios using paired T test. Results Mean age of 34 included male children was 8 (5-11 years). There was no statistically significant difference between T1 TSE and MPRAGE ratios. However, in 4 out of 34 examinations, minimal contrast enhancement was noted only in T1 TSE sequence. Conclusion Our data indicate that both T1 TSE and MPRAGE sequences are valuable in determining contrast enhancement in CALD. Although there is not a statistically significant difference between the two techniques, T1 TSE sequence appears to be more sensitive for low degree of enhancement.